West Town fire causes partial building collapse, elderly woman hospitalized, CFD says

Wednesday, March 1, 2023
CHICAGO (WLS) -- One person was injured in a fire in West Town Wednesday night.

1 injured in West Town house fire


The blaze broke out in the 1700-block of Superior Street, Just before 8 p.m., according to the Chicago Fire Department.

Firefighters responded a little after 7 p.m. to a two-flat, and said they had to twice upgrade their response.

Officials said a woman in her early 80s was taken from a bottom floor residence to Ascension St. Mary Hospital in serious but stable condition. No one else at the scene needed treatment or evacuation.

CFD gives update on West Town fire


Fire officials said parts of the building, including a portion of the roof, have collapse. Onlookers said the flames at one point were towering.

"They got up to 30 feet tall. They were coming right from the middle, so firefighters were having a tough time getting to it until they got this really big ladder," said Eduardo Quezada, witness.

"Seems like it was the first floor that it started," said CFD District Chief Robert Jurewicz. "It got going through the roof. The rear porches collapsed. We had a partial collapse of the building on the 'd' side and a partial collapse on the 'b' side.

As of 9:30 p.m. firefighters continued to pour water on the home from above, but the partial collapse is keeping some of the hot spots shielded from their streams.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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