Man dead, wife seriously injured in Little Italy apartment fire
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 77-year-old man died a day after a fire broke out in an apartment building in Chicago's Little Italy neighborhood Sunday morning.
Thomas Fitzpatrick died after becoming trapped in the basement of the home near Bishop and Polk streets. His 71-year-old wife was in critically condition at last report.
Police and Chicago fire investigators were back at the home Monday afternoon.
"Good thing the alarms went off and they got out, but grandpa couldn't handle the smoke, I guess," neighbor Donna Buczko said before Fitzpatrick passed away.
Clouds of smoke could be seen pouring out of the building near Bishop and Polk as dozens of firefighters worked to contain the blaze that happened just after 1 a.m. Sunday.
Neighbors said a grandfather, grandmother and their adult grandson were inside when the fire started. The grandparents were from out of state and were house sitting.
Buczko said the grandson knocked on a couple of doors.
"He knocked on three doors," she said. "That one over there he knocked on. He knocked on that one and then he knocked on Daniella's. He didn't knock on mine because I would have let him in right away."
Fire officials said Fitzpatrick was found in the basement. The grandmother and grandson were outside.
"Grandma, they had to put oxygen on her because of the smoke too and took her to the hospital," Buczko said.
Since the family is without a home at the time, Buczko says her doors are open.
"She grabbed my hand and I said, 'You can stay with us, with me you know. Don't worry about it,'" Buczko said.
She said their street is close knit and neighbors are deeply concerned for the family.
"Everybody's got their fingers crossed and everybody is going to help the family with whatever they need," she said.
Investigators said the cause of the fire is still unknown.
