Bridgeport fire leaves 7 Chicago firefighters hurt

ByJesse Kirsch WLS logo
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Bridgeport fire leaves 7 Chicago firefighters hurt
A fire left seven firefighters injured in the Bridgeport neighborhood on Chicago's South Side Friday morning

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A fire left seven firefighters injured in the Bridgeport neighborhood on Chicago's South Side Friday morning

The fire broke out around 7:15 a.m. in a two-story home in the 2700-block of S. Lowe Avenue.

WATCH: Firefighters battle flames in Bridgeport

Firefighters fought flames in Bridgeport Friday morning.

Chicago firefighters were battling thick smoke and flames when they were caught in what's known as a "flashover," fire officials said.

"All the content in its infrastructure catches fire all at once, and everything burns and it gives you seconds to get out of the fire," said District Chief Steven Clay, Chicago Fire Department.

Officials said one firefighter was forced to jump to another roof. In all, seven firefighters were injured.

RELATED: Kenwood high-rise fire leaves 3, including Chicago firefighter, hurt

CFD spokesman Larry Langford said the firefighters suffered from some steam burns and falls, but will be fine.

WATCH: CFD official gives update on Bridgeport fire

A CFD official gave an update on a Bridgeport fire Friday morning that injured six firefighters.

It was not immediately clear how the fire began.

A man was able to safely escape before the fire department got there. He lived there with four dogs, fire officials said.

Even as the scene calmed down, many in the neighborhood were stuck in the dark. ComEd said the fire department asked the utility to cut power to 422 customers.

Among them was Reno Castillo, who said his home is three blocks away.

"We run electricity for the water heater. We got nothing right now," Castillo said. "It's freezing in the house. Temperature goes down real fast in somebody's house, you know."

A ComEd spokesperson said power was restored to all customers shortly after 6 p.m.

Fire officials continue to investigate the cause of the fire.

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