Sirens cut through a Sunday night on Chicago’s West Side as firefighters battled a roaring blaze at a two and a half story church in the 600 block of North Lotus Avenue. In the middle of that fight, one firefighter fell through a floor inside the burning building, triggering a mayday and a frantic rescue that ended with the injured member pulled out alive and rushed to Stroger Hospital. A civilian was also taken to a suburban hospital with injuries officials said were not related to the fire.
Mayday Inside Burning Church
The 2-11 alarm fire was reported at about 7:46 p.m. in the 600 block of North Lotus Avenue on the city’s West Side, according to CBS Chicago. Fire officials told the outlet a mayday went out after a firefighter dropped through the floor while working inside. Crews quickly located the trapped member, removed them from the structure, and transported them to Stroger Hospital, where the firefighter was expected to be OK.
Flames Jump To Neighboring Buildings
The fire did not stay confined to the church. Local reporters said flames spread to at least one neighboring building, and a civilian was taken to West Suburban Hospital with an injury officials described as unrelated to the blaze, per ABC7 Chicago. Crews had the situation largely under control in roughly an hour, ABC7 reported, after pouring water on multiple structures along the block.
Vacant Buildings And Defensive Strategy
Local emergency coverage showed firefighters surrounding a vacant church and pouring water on flames in adjacent buildings, with ladder trucks extended and multiple master streams in action, Arlington Cardinal reported. That coverage noted that several of the structures involved appeared to be vacant, and that crews adopted a defensive posture to keep the fire from overrunning the larger church building next door.
Cause Under Investigation
City officials did not immediately release a cause for the fire and said the department would continue to investigate the scene. More details may be released as investigators go through the block and speak with witnesses, according to CBS Chicago. The department has asked anyone with photos or video from the area to share them with investigators to help determine what sparked the blaze and to assess the full extent of damage to nearby buildings.
