Fortunately, the Chicago Fire Department said, everyone is okay. But, for many residents, this was a frightening reminder of another fatal fire that happened 10 years ago in the same building.
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WATCH: Flames shoot out of South Shore high-rise
Flames shoot out of South Shore high-rise
"I just happened to look right there, and the fire was just huge. There was smoke everywhere," said Denise Collier, a witness.
Smoke and flames billowed out of an apartment on the 10th floor of the South Shore high-rise.
"This is my first time ever seeing a fire that was that huge," Collier said.
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The fire prompted a sweeping response from the Chicago Fire Department at 9:30 a.m. with over 100 firefighters on scene. Fire officials said it took 30 minutes to put the fire out, and added there are no sprinklers inside the building.
WATCH: CFD provides update after high-rise fire breaks out on South Side
CFD provides update after high-rise fire breaks out on South Side
"There are like 15 firetrucks and four or five ambulances. It just looked like something out of a movie," said Suzette Wright, another witness.
Dr. Tanya Ratcliff lives four floors above the unit that caught fire, and said she worked to help get her neighbors out of the building as firefighters fought the fire from inside and out.
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"While we were doing the walking, there was no alarms going off. So I was alarmed about that," Ratcliff said.
Ten years ago, two people died during a fire in that same building. Thursday's fire reminded some residents of that tragedy.
"This one was a little bit smaller than that one, but it still provoked that same sense of urgency," Ratcliff said.
The Chicago Buildings Department said the building has fire code violations, including one that appears to say that a contractor did not upload an annual fire alarm inspection.
CFD said Red Cross volunteers will be at a reception center at 6700 South South Shore Drive until 8 p.m. to help residents who were impacted by the fire. Residents can visit the resource center to access shelter and recovery services.
CFD said an investigation into the cause of the fire is underway right now, and it is still unclear if the unit the fire started in is a total loss.