Several people were rescued Thursday afternoon after a high-rise apartment building in Edgewater erupted in flames.
The extra-alarm blaze, which was extinguished by about 1:40 p.m., started on the fourth floor of the Pines of Edgewater, 5439 N. Kenmore Ave., according to Larry Langford, a spokesperson for the Chicago Fire Department.
The fourth floor is uninhabitable for now, and the cause of the fire and exact location of where it originated are still under investigation, Fire Department District Chief Robert Jurewicz told reporters at the scene.
The fire is out on Kenmore. pic.twitter.com/Yfwrh8jn9e
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At least a dozen ambulances were sent to the scene, and at least nine people were taken to nearby hospitals. One person was in serious condition and the rest were in fair condition, Jurewicz said.
The eight-story brick high-rise is primarily occupied by older adults, and because some needed help leaving their units, the fire department called for more equipment and trucks.
The building’s location on a tight, one-way street and heavy smoke presented obstacles for the 125 firefighters who battled the blaze, Jurewicz said.
The fire spread to the hallway, but crews were able to stop it from burning other units in the building.
“They had to fight through 30 feet of fire just to get to the apartment where the fire was,” Jurewicz said. “These guys did a tremendous job.”
Fire trucks with flashing lights stretched for blocks, and the faint smell of smoke lingered in the air. A burned and broken window on the fourth floor was visible from the alley on the south side of the building.
Many residents sought to escape the building due to the heavy smoke. Three people climbed down a ladder with the help of firefighters, and a dozen more went down the fire escape.
Swaths of firefighters surrounded the building as dozens of residents and neighbors stood across the street to observe.
Michelle Katzen, who lives around the corner from the building, came to see what happened after she saw trucks on her street. She didn’t see any flames or smoke, but applauded the firefighters.
“It’s pretty incredible how organized they are,” Katzen said. “Seems like a pretty big response for a fire, but better safe than sorry.”
Roommates Brianne Espinoza and Riley McCarthy, who live a block from the scene, said they saw people hanging out of their windows when they first arrived. They didn’t see smoke or flames.
“It’s emotional,” Espinoza, 25, said. “You definitely want the firefighters to be safe, but you see people [in the building] and wonder why they couldn’t evacuate.”
“We didn’t hear anything but sirens,” said McCarthy, 26.
Shortly after 2:30 p.m., residents reentered the building.
Check back for details on this developing story.