Woman dead, man hospitalized in fire in Chicago residence
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A woman was found dead, and a man was rushed to the hospital from the scene of a fire in the Brighton Park neighborhood Friday night.
The fire broke out in a frame house that appeared to have two units at 3225 W. 38th Pl., just west of Kedzie Avenue.
As CBS 2's Shardaa Gray reported, the flames were out by 10 p.m., and firefighters were investigating. But earlier, flames were seen ripping through the house.
Firefighters battled flames shooting off the top of the roof. They told Gray they had a difficult time trying to execute putting out the fire – and they had to put up a ladder to get the flames out from an aerial view.
"The problem was, there is an attic floor, the stairs up to the attic were burned out, so we had no stairs to get up to the attic, so we had to cut through the second floor to get up the attic," said CFD Deputy Chief Jeffery Mayer.
A 32-year-old woman was found dead in the attic of the home. A 69-year-old man was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County from the scene of the fire in critical condition. No other injuries were reported.
The firefighter also said seven adults, five kids, and one dog live in the home – but it was unclear late Friday how many people were in the house when the fire broke out.
It was also unclear late Friday how the fire started. But the Fire Department said there were no working smoke detectors, and they believe the house is a total loss.
The identity of the woman who was found dead was not known late Friday.
CFD conducted a post-fire death canvas and distributed smoke detectors to residents in the neighborhood on Saturday.
