Firefighter Hospitalized After Battling U Of C Blaze
Updated: 10/26/10 11:13 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS/STMW) - A Chicago firefighter was hospitalized after battling an extra-alarm blaze in a building under rehab on University of Chicago's Hyde Park campus Tuesday evening.
The building has been under construction for several months and no one was inside the building during the fire but the fire sent everyone nearby running. Witnesses said you could see the flames jumping from the roof of the building just after 5 p.m. and high winds carried the smoke across the campus.
A university spokesman told CBS 2's Pamela Jones that so far it is unclear what caused the fire.
The fire was reported at 5727 S. University Ave. and was quickly upgraded to a second-alarm, Fire Media Affairs spokesman Quention Curtis said.
One student was in a nearby coffee shop when she saw the smoke. She captured cell phone video of the blaze.
"I came outside and the building was on fire. And the firefighters were like running down the street. Like everyone started gathering and it was really scary, and I couldn't breathe," said U of C student Alicia Caillier.
One firefighter was hospitalized after battling the blaze, Curtis said. His injuries were not considered life-threatening, but he was taken to University of Chicago Hospital in "stable" condition.
Heavy winds did not hamper firefighting efforts, Curtis said.
Asset management firm founder and University of Chicago alum Steve Stevanovich donated $7 million to renovate the building back in 2006. Stevanovich is being sued for his alleged involvement in a huge financial fraud scheme.
He was accused of raking in some $320 million in false profits. Stevanovich denies those claims.
The extra-alarm fire was secured about 7:05 p.m., according to unconfirmed dispatch reports.
