A vacant residential building on Marshfield Avenue near 62nd Street in Chicago's West Englewood neighborhood went up in flames early Monday, throwing thick smoke over the block and lighting the South Side sky as firefighters raced in before dawn.
Crews worked the scene for some time as neighbors looked on, watching heavy smoke billow from the structure while firefighters attacked the blaze from multiple angles.
According to CBS Chicago, the fire broke out overnight Sunday into Monday in a building on Marshfield Avenue near 62nd Street, and early reports indicated the structure was vacant. As of that report, there was no immediate word on the cause or on any injuries, and the Chicago Fire Department had not yet released detailed information.
Recent Pattern Of South Side Blazes
The Marshfield blaze lands on top of a troubling string of recent fires on the South Side.
On Jan. 2, a 13-year-old girl was hospitalized in critical condition after an unattended candle sparked a house fire in West Englewood, according to NBC Chicago. That incident, just days into the new year, put a spotlight on basic home fire safety and the stakes when it goes wrong.
In addition, a Christmas Day inferno previously gutted another Marshfield-area building, underscoring how one West Englewood street has now seen multiple large blazes in a short span.
What Officials Are Urging
The Chicago Fire Department had not immediately provided a full public update on the latest Marshfield fire, CBS Chicago reported, and investigators are expected to comb through the scene to determine where and how the blaze started.
After the Jan. 2 house fire, Deputy District Chief Gary Brooks reminded residents that working smoke alarms are a basic but critical line of defense. "When you have smoke detectors but they don’t work, there’s not enough time to alert the individuals in the home," he told NBC Chicago, a warning that hits even harder as West Englewood tallies yet another serious fire.
What To Watch For
Neighbors and city officials will be watching for an official Chicago Fire Department update on what caused the Marshfield blaze and whether the building's vacant status played any role in how it spread. We will monitor public channels and official statements as investigators release more information from the scene.
