A man possibly trying to stay warm apparently started a fire in a storage area for a popular Lincoln Park restaurant early Friday.
The man and a firefighter were taken to hospitals when propane tanks began burning at 4:20 a.m. at Cafe Brauer, 2021 N. Stockton Drive, Chicago Fire Department officials said.
“The fire was in the shed where the propane tanks are stored,” said fire department spokesperson Larry Langford. “The tanks were on fire.”
A hazardous materials alarm was called during the emergency because propane is flammable.
A firefighter was taken to Rush University Medical Center with a “very minor” injury while the 46-year-old man possibly involved with the fire was hospitalized with a medical issue and taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was in fair condition, police said.
Neither injury was burn-related.
The fire was quickly extinguished and the incident been turned over to police for a criminal investigation, officials said.
Catalina Marulanda was woken up early Friday when her cat, Sunny, kept meowing and noticed the fire burning from her 17th floor apartment window.
“I start seeing like these really big flames start getting bigger and bigger and a lot of smoke coming out of a building,” Marulanda, 29, said.
Marulanda initially thought the fire happened at the farm area of Lincoln Park Zoo, but zoo officials confirmed no animals were harmed in the fire.
“I was very worried about people getting injured and also a historic building getting damaged,” Marulanda, who called 911 to notify first responders of the fire, at the restaurant. “It’s a landmark.”
The 29-year-old has lived in her apartment since July and frequently goes for walks or jogs around the area when weather permits. She says the cafe is a staple in the Lincoln Park community.
“A lot of people hold it as a neighborhood treasure,” Marulanda said. “A lot of people want to make sure it’s safe and secure and preserved.”
“It’s a beautiful part of Lincoln Park and the zoo.”
Marulanda said if it wasn’t for her 6-year-old cat “being annoying” and waking her up, the damage caused by the fire could’ve been much worse.
“My cat was the one that woke me up,” she said. “He’s a hero.”