Chaos unfolded on the South Side of Chicago as a fire broke out in a historic high-rise, leaving eight injured including a critically harmed baby. The blaze, which started in the kitchen of a second-floor
7144 Jeffrey. This was a 2 11 with EMS PLAN 2. Fire started in kitchen of a second floor unit. Smoke filled the building. One person jumped from floor 4. In fair condition. Total of 7 transport incidents a baby that is critical Building 14 floors . rescues from windows. pic.twitter.com/zf1DQRurYB
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) February 21, 2024
apartment at 7144 S. Jeffery Blvd., ripped through the 14-story building, leading to a full-scale rescue operation. The Chicago Fire Department confirmed to CFD Media that the incident was the result of unattended cooking.
Over 155 firefighters responded to a 2-11 alarm, while a dozen ambulances were dispatched under an Emergency Medical Services Plan 2, indicating the severity of the situation. According to a CBS News report, rescues were undertaken inside the building due to the malfunctioning elevators, with residents on floors as high as the 12th trapped and considering desperate jumps for survival.
One individual leaped from the fourth floor but fortunately was able to walk away, per the CBS News account. Smoke billowed from the building, prompting harrowing scenes as residents, like Arnesha Amison from the sixth floor, were instructed to wait for rescue rather than flee through the smoke-engulfed stairwells. "Through the grace of God," Dedrick Washington recounted to CBS News how he and his wife, residents on the twelfth floor, managed to escape with a cloth over their face.
Ladder rescues were conducted on the exterior with people visibly dangling from windows, with one poignant image showing a firefighter cradling a rescued child. "They went right to business," Amison expressed gratitude to Chicago's bravest in her interview with CBS News, noting the strong presence of firefighters over police officers at the scene. In total, three children and five adults were taken to hospitals, with the baby being cared for at the University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital.
The Office of Fire Investigation has since assessed the interior damage to be extensive and named the cause as accidental. With the community rattled, this incident stands as a stark reminder of the danger unattended cooking poses and the critical role of our emergency services in averting greater tragedy.
