A man is in critical condition after firefighters pulled him from the basement of a burning home in the 2000 block of Milton Avenue in Park Ridge. A neighbor alerted fire officials that someone was still trapped inside, and first responders located the man in the basement before rushing him to the hospital.
The man was initially reported to be in critical condition following the rescue, according to ABC7 Chicago. The cause of the fire has not been determined and remains under investigation, the station reported. It's unclear how long the man was inside the smoke-filled basement before crews reached him.
A Block With a History of Fire
This isn't the first time a serious fire has struck this stretch of Milton Avenue. Back in May 2021, a home on the same block was destroyed in a box-alarm fire after an SUV caught fire under a carport and the flames spread into the house, according to the Journal & Topics Media Group. That 2021 blaze offers a stark reminder of how quickly fire can consume a residential structure in this part of Park Ridge.
The rescue also highlights just how dangerous basement fires can be for both occupants and the firefighters who go in after them. Research by UL's Fire Safety Research Institute and the International Society of Fire Service Instructors, cited by the Firefighters Association of the State of New York, notes that basement fires are among the most hazardous residential incidents because interior stairwells funnel high-velocity hot gases upward toward main living areas — a layout that can trap someone below grade while flames spread overhead.
The Park Ridge Fire Department responded to the scene.
The man was rushed to a hospital. It has not been confirmed where he was taken.
The Broader Threat of Residential Fires
Residential fires remain a serious threat.
Fire safety and tracking of fire-related harm are ongoing concerns.
Investigators have not yet released the origin or cause of the Milton Avenue fire, and it remains unclear whether working smoke detectors were present inside the home. Hoodline will update this story as more information becomes available.
