Residents Jump to Escape Chicago Fire

June 8, 2013
Neighbors say at least two people jumped from their building into the arms of neighbors to escape the 4 a.m. blaze.

June 08--Residents jumped from a burning West Side home early Saturday morning to escape a blaze that injured three people.

The fire, in the 2100 block of South Millard Avenue, started in the back porches -- there was one on each floor of the three-floor brick building -- before 4 a.m.

Police and neighbors said at least two people jumped from the front of the building into the arms of neighbors. One stood barefoot and shaking until a neighbor gave her his pair of socks and put a blanket around her.

Three of the neighbors identified as those helping the women who jumped declined to comment. They were not injured.

Police also ushered people out of a neighboring building when they arrived because it looked like fire was coming from a narrow gangway that separated the burning building and the one to the south.

Two adults were wheeled away to ambulances waiting in a staging area north of the fire.

One man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition and a woman was taken to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in fair-to-serious condition, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

It's not clear how many people were displaced.

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Twitter: @PeterNickeas

Copyright 2013 - Chicago Tribune

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