By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Chicago Fire Department crews responded at approximately 5 a.m. Thursday, June 11, to an extra-alarm structure fire at a two-and-a-half-story residential building in the 4500 block of South Laflin Street in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the city’s Southwest Side.
- Four people were injured — two Chicago firefighters and two civilians; a 90-year-old resident was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and minor cuts and bruises, and a second civilian was treated for minor injuries.
- Nearly 100 firefighters operated on scene; part of the building’s roof collapsed during suppression operations, and fire spread to neighboring structures.
- CFD District Chief Scott Shawaluk said crews moved quickly to protect exposures on adjacent buildings while simultaneously attacking the fire in the primary structure.
- Fire officials stated it is unclear whether the building had functioning smoke detectors, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
CHICAGO, Ill. — Four people, including two Chicago firefighters, were injured early Thursday when an extra-alarm fire tore through a two-and-a-half-story multi-family home in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on Chicago’s Southwest Side, prompting a response of nearly 100 firefighters and causing a partial roof collapse before crews brought the blaze under control.
The Chicago Fire Department received the call at approximately 5 a.m. and arrived to find the residential structure in the 4500 block of South Laflin Street heavily involved in fire, with thick black smoke visible for miles in the surrounding area. CFD District Chief Scott Shawaluk said crews immediately established a dual-front operation, working to protect adjacent homes from fire spread while simultaneously mounting an interior and exterior attack on the primary building. The fire extended to neighboring structures before being contained.
The family residing in the multi-generational home was alerted to the fire by a relative living next door. The 90-year-old matriarch of the household, who was on the second floor at the time the fire broke out, was transported to a hospital and treated for smoke inhalation and minor cuts and bruises. A second civilian sustained minor injuries and was also transported for medical evaluation. Two Chicago firefighters were injured during suppression operations; their conditions and the nature of their injuries were not specified in initial reports. Alderman Ray Lopez, who represents the area, confirmed details of the family’s situation at the scene.
Roof collapse during active operations added to the complexity of the response. Fire officials said investigators have not yet determined whether the building was equipped with functioning smoke detectors. The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation by the Chicago Fire Department.