According to a report from FOX 32, one resident was killed and another was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after a four-alarm fire erupted in a high-rise apartment on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, Wednesday morning.
The Chicago Fire Department (CFD) responded to the apartment building at 4850 Lake Park Avenue in Kenwood just after 10 a.m. for a fire in the upper floors. The fire started on the 15th floor and quickly extended upward.
CFD officials said the fire affected 10 floors, up to the building’s 24th floor, and residents near the top of the building were evacuated.
The incident began after a 16th-floor resident smelled smoke and called 911.
CFD officials also said one resident on the 15th floor was found dead inside the unit. Seven other people were hurt, including a 70-year-old woman who was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.
One CFD firefighter was also hospitalized for smoke inhalation.
Eight other residents suffered non-life-threatening injuries. High winds and the vertical movement of the fire proved challenging for crews to get water on the fire.
CFD Director Larry Langford said the cause of the fire is now under investigation, and the department’s main concern was keeping the flames from spreading.
The fire was classified as a 4-11, which is rare for the city, Langford said.
City records show that the building, Harper Square Cooperative, has failed seven inspections since October 27, 2021.
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