Chicago Crews Rescue Residents Hanging from Windows

Sept. 3, 2020
A Chicago fire official credited smoke detectors for the lack of fatalities during an extra-alarm apartment blaze in the city's West Woodlawn neighborhood.

Chicago firefighters rescued residents hanging from the windows of a burning residential building Wednesday.

The extra-alarm fire broke out shortly before 4:50 a.m. at three-story apartment complex in the city's West Woodlawn neighborhood, WLS-TV reports. Firefighters used ladders to reach some residents who were dangling from windows.

"As far as injuries or fatalities, right now no fatalitiesreported injuries are minimal, if any due, to the fact that they did have working smoke detectors; those smoke detectors did alert the residents," Deputy Fire Commissioner Timothy Sampey told WLS.

Along with the residents, firefighters also rescued a cat from the blaze. Crews had the fire extinguished at around 6:15 a.m., according to WLS.