By Alexandra Chachkevitch
The Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — A man died and two firefighters were injured after a fire broke out Friday evening at an apartment building in the South Austin neighborhood on the West Side, authorities said.
The fire broke out at a four-story apartment building in the 300 block of North Central Avenue about 10:03 p.m., said Chicago Fire Department Chief Juan Hernandez.
The blaze was contained to one room on the second floor of the building, and it was extinguished about 10:48 p.m., Hernandez said.
A man in his 50s died as a result of the fire, said Officer Hector Alfaro, a Chicago police spokesman.
One firefighter fell down an elevator shaft and was taken in serious-to-critical condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, Hernandez said.
A second firefighter suffered a minor injury and was also taken to Mount Sinai, Hernandez said. Both firefighters’ conditions stabilized, he said.
One person refused medical treatment at the scene, and no one else was injured, he said.
About 30 people were displaced as a result of the blaze.
Irene Jenkins, 23, was coming into work at a nursing home across the street when she saw firefighters working to put out the fire at the apartment building.
Jenkins said she knew the man who died in the fire. She said she would see him sitting in a wheel chair outside of the apartment building from time to time.
“He would sit out there and talk to everybody,” said Jenkins as she stood Friday evening across the street from the apartment building. “I guess they couldn’t get him out in time.”
The fire is still under investigation, and no other information was immediately available.
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