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Dec. 03--Two men were listed in serious condition after they were rescued from a fire that broke out in a basement apartment early this morning in west suburban Berwyn.
Shortly before 6 a.m., a tenant on the top floor of the 3-unit building located at 2115 Kenilworth Avenue heard his smoke detector alarm sound and alerted four of his family members to get out, said Deputy Chief Sam Molinaro of the Berwyn Fire Department.
On the way out, the man also alerted five tenants in the first floor unit.
Firefighters arrived at the scene and searched the basement unit, where they located and rescued two men, Molinaro said.
The men were first taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, where they were treated for smoke inhalation and their condition was stabilized. Both were later transferred to Loyola University Hospital in Maywood, Molinaro said.
"Good training resulted in a good outcome," Molinaro said. "Hopefully they will recover from their injuries."
The fire is believed to be electrical in nature and originated in the basement unit that had no working smoke detector, he said.
"Whether you own the place or not you need to make sure there is a working smoke detector to save your life," Molinaro said.
The basement apartment sustained heavy fire and smoke damage, and the other two units sustained smoke damage as well, he said. The tenants were displaced, but the Salvation Army was called to the scene to assist in relocating the families.
The Illinois State Fire Marshal was called to the scene and an investigation into the cause of the fire was pending.
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