Seven people were taken to the hospital and several residences were left uninhabitable after a fire broke out late Tuesday in a condominium building in Dolton, the village's mayor said.
Mayor Riley Rogers said the fire, which began about 10:10 p.m., was confined to a second-floor condominium in the building in the 14600 block of Greenwood Road. The cause is under investigation, he said.
Rogers said paramedics transported seven people to the hospital, including a woman who jumped from the second floor of the four-story building, which is home to about 200 people.
"As far as I know, all were released," Rogers said. "Fortunately, there was no loss of life and no major injuries."
Prior to first responders' arrival, residents braved the thick smoke to go door-to-door to help their neighbors, Rogers said.
According to Rogers, residents said the building alarm wasn't loud enough and that fire department representatives are meeting with building management to ensure the alarm systems are functioning properly. The building was constructed in the mid 1970s.
A first-responder team subsequently conducted "a condominium by condominium search to make sure everybody was out of the building."
Rogers acknowledged that search upset some residents, who found their doors had been forced open. Defending the tactic, Rogers said, "There was a 14-year-old kid in the building asleep. It was good business to get that team in. There was still a significant amount of smoke in the building."
The American Red Cross assisted "six or seven families" whose condominiums were uninhabitable due to water and smoke damage, he said. Other residents were able to return to their residences early Wednesday.
Rogers said he arrived at the scene and saw "so much smoke billowing out of the building." Mutual aid calls were made to surrounding fire departments, he said.
"I was glad they showed up," he said.
Check back later for more information.
Dennis Sullivan is a freelance reporter.
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