A 67-year-old woman is fighting for her life after being rescued from an apartment building fire on Chicago's Near North Side. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the woman sustained severe smoke inhalation during the blaze that occurred late Monday evening. The Chicago Fire Department responded to a call at 8:26 p.m. and found smoke billowing from the building located in the 100 block of West Oak Street off Clark Street.
Initial reports indicate that a witness quickly acted, noticing the smoke, and played a critical role in assisting the woman to safety. Once outside, firefighters also helped to expedite her transport to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where she remains in critical condition as reported by CBS News Chicago. Investigators, as of Tuesday, are still piecing together to try and determine the cause of the fire that endangered residents on the Near North Side.
The Chicago community is no stranger to the perils of urban fires, particularly in densely populated areas like the Near North Side, where the proximity of residents to one another adds layers of risk during such emergencies.
As the 67-year-old woman receives care for her injuries, the fire's point of origin and contributing factors remain under close investigation by the Chicago Fire Department. The collective hope is that the findings will help to prevent subsequent incidents.
