Woman, Dog Rescued from Chicago Blaze

March 28, 2008
Prior to the fire department?s arrival, a Harrison District police officer rescued a woman believed to be in her 70s.

CHICAGO --

Police rescued an elderly woman from a burning building and firefighters saved her dog after a fire started in her Humboldt Park house early Friday on the West Side.

About 3:45 a.m., firefighters responded to a blaze at a 1½-story bungalow at 833 N. Drake Ave., according to Fire Media Affairs Chief Kevin MacGregor.

Prior to the fire departments arrival, a Harrison District police officer rescued a woman believed to be in her 70s, police News Affairs Officer John Henry said.

The woman was taken to Norwegian-American Hospital in serious condition with burns and smoke inhalation, MacGregor said.

Firefighters successfully rescued the womans dog, which is currently in the care of the citys department of Animal Care and Control, MacGregor said.

The fire was elevated to a still-and-box alarm, according to a fire department dispatcher. A still-and-box alarm automatically sends four engines, two trucks, one tower ladder, three battalion chiefs, one deputy chief, one squad company one command van and one ambulance to the scene.

The blaze was contained to the first floor and was extinguished about 4 a.m. The cause and origin of the blaze remains under investigation early Friday, according to MacGregor, who said it has not yet been determined if the house had working smoke detectors.

Nobody else was injured.

Copyright 2008, Sun-Times News Group

Copyright 2008 by NBC5.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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