Schaumburg apartment fire sends 4 people to the hospital
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (CBS) – A senior apartment fire in northwest suburban Schaumburg sent four people, including a firefighter, to the hospital.
The fire started on a porch at the Emerald Village Senior Living Apartments at 150 W. Wise Road.
"All we know is that it happened on one of the fourth-floor units, and it quickly spread into the other unit," said Shawn Green, deputy chief of the Schaumburg Police Department.
Two civilians and a firefighter were hospitalized for minor smoke inhalation. Another civilian was taken to a hospital in good condition due to heat exhaustion. All are expected to be OK.
First responders were helping get residents out through stairways and fire ladders.
"I use a walker and they were helping me to the fireplace and then they said somebody down the hall needed help, so they all ran to that," said resident Audrey Gallagher. "Another policeman in the stairway helped me down and they got me out right away."
Resident Mary Becker told CBS 2's Marybel Gonzalez that the evacuation happened very fast.
"I was out on my balcony watering my tomato plants, and I saw all the trucks," she said. "'Holy mackerel! What's going on?' So that's when I called a friend of mine, and he said 'Just get out of the building!'"
Like many others, Becker left behind medications and precious belongings.
"I work on my genealogy, and I left all of that and some of that I would have a heck of a time duplicating and doing all over again, because I've been working on it for almost 23 years," she said.
CBS 2 was told police did go back in the complex to get the medication for residents.
The Schaumburg Fire Department was on the scene. Nearby Robert Frost Junior High School is being used as a reunification center.
It's unclear when residents will be able to go back home, but police said they are working to get the majority of them back by Friday night.
