Chicago Firefighter Injured in Fatal Blaze

March 18, 2008
A fire inside a mixed-use building Monday night reportedly killed a resident, and injured two police officers and a firefighter.

CHICAGO --

A fire inside a South Side mixed-use building Monday night reportedly killed a resident, and injured two police officers and a firefighter.

Just after 9:40 p.m., fire crews called a still-and-box alarm for a fire at a 2.5-story building at 4715 S. Paulina St. in the Back-of-the- Yards neighborhood, Fire Media Affairs Asst. Director Eve Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said the mixed-use building has a tavern on the ground floor with residential units on the above floors.

A man living in the building, who was initially taken to Holy Cross Hospital in "extremely critical condition," later died, Rodriguez said.

The Cook County Medical Examiners office could not confirm the fatality as of 11 p.m.

Two police officers and a firefighter were injured in the fire, Rodriguez said.

The officers were taken in "stable" condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, and one firefighter was taken in "stable" condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

The blaze started in the rear area on the buildings second floor, Rodriguez said. The blaze heavily damaged the buildings roof.

The fire was extinguished late Monday night.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Copyright 2008, Sun-Times News Group

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