Nov. 25--An extra-alarm fire tore through a Far South Side condominium building Saturday afternoon, reducing the five-story structure to "a shell of a building" and displacing dozens of residents, fire officials said.
There were no immediate reports of serious injuries among residents of the building's 32 occupied units. But crews were unable to conduct a full search of the building late Saturday because parts of the fourth and fifth floors had collapsed onto the third floor, Chicago Deputy Fire Commissioner John McNicholas said. Officials said they had to get clearance from the Building Department before entering the unstable sections.
Residents forced out of the building at 2030 W. 111th St. huddled across the street in near-freezing temperatures and later took refuge in a nearby public library.
"It's something you just don't expect, but it's something we all have to accept and deal with," said Otis Wilder, 62, who lives on the third floor.
About 120 fire personnel battled the blaze, which broke out about 2:30 p.m. and was brought under control about three hours later, officials said.
Several residents said that each unit and the hallways had working smoke detectors. Roddric Sims, who also lives on the third floor, said he heard the alarms and went into his 7-year-old son's bedroom, where he saw black smoke coming out of a vent. Sims said he calmly told his son to get dressed, and they got out of the building unharmed.
Copyright 2012 - Chicago Tribune
