One firefighter was overcome by heat as crews doused the first of two fires on the South Side that were raised to extra alarms Sunday morning because of hot weather.
The firefighter was one of more than a hundred who responded about 7 a.m. to the 2-11 alarm fire at a three-story brick home in the 400 block of East 42nd Street in Bronzeville. The firefighter was taken to the University of Chicago Hospitals in fair-to-serious condition for treatment of heat-related illness, according to the Chicago Fire Department media office.
No one was home in the building at the time of the fire, and the fire spread to a two-story home to the west, but it was under control by about 7:35 a.m. The extra alarm was called so firefighters dousing the blaze could be relieved by fresh firefighters more quickly to keep them from suffering heat exhaustion.
About 9 a.m., firefighters were called to the Wheatland Tube Co., 2300 W. 47th Street in the Back of the Yards neighborhood for a 2-11 alarm fire and hazardous materials incident. The fire was largely contained to a machine at the factory, according to the media office.
Again, the extra alarm was called so firefighters could be relieved more quickly because of the heat. A hazardous materials team was called in as a precaution, according to the Fire Department.
That fire was extinguished, and the hazardous materials incident declared under control by about 10:30 a.m.
Copyright 2012 - Chicago Tribune
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
