July 28, 2010

Chicago cops save five from burning building

Because of the officers' quick actions, only a 56-year-old woman was treated for smoke inhalation

By Rosemary Sobol
The Chicago Sun-Times

When Chicago Police Officers Manny Espinoza and Kevin Cunningham arrived at a CHA public housing complex on the Near West Side, a fire was spreading quickly inside.

"There was heavy black smoke coming from apartment No. 1 on the bottom floor," Espinoza said. "We saw the tenant near the door; we pulled her out. She was really hysterical."

But then she told them there were four others upstairs -- asleep.

"The fire was up there pretty bad as well. It spread quick," Espinoza said. "We broke some windows, but the fire was right behind us."

They were able to pull out a 4-year-old boy, a 15-year-old girl, a 32-year-old woman and 34-year-old man. A dog upstairs also escaped.

"They were devastated. They were all crying and in shock. There were big flames in the kitchen," Espinoza said.

Three others also escaped the flames at the building at 1811 W. Lake, including a 3-year-old girl, 33-year-old woman and 53 year-old man.

Because of the officers' quick actions, only a 56-year-old woman was treated for smoke inhalation.

The fire started at 12:40 Tuesday morning on the first floor of the three-story building, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Richard Rosado said.

The fire was contained to one room and was put out in about a half-hour, Rosado said. The woman was taken to Stroger Hospital in fair condition. No one else was hurt. Rosado said the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Espinoza and Cunningham, who work in the Wood District, were first on the scene because they were only two blocks away at the time of the call.