Englewood fire injures 3 including CPD officer; residents jump to escape blaze

CHICAGO (WLS) -- At least three people, including a Chicago police officer, were injured in an apartment fire in Englewood Thursday night.

The fire started in the building in the 6400-block of South Morgan Street around 8 p.m. A woman inside the home said she was cooking when she heard a loud explosion. She wasn't sure if it came from inside or outside the home, but almost instantly her kitchen and apartment filled with thick black smoke.

Other witnesses on the street saw the smoke pouring from the roof and came over to help. When they arrived the saw people hanging out of the apartment window, shouting for help.

Some of them went around back to try to get into the building, witness Keith Harris said, but couldn't because that's where the fire started. Harris said he and other good Samaritans were telling the residents to hold on when the others came back with garbage cans for the residents to jump into.

"That was before firefighters even got there," Harris said.

All three residents were able to escape the fire, CFD officials said. The building appears to be either a two- or three-flat.

Two people, including the officer, were taken to the hospital to be treated, but the woman who was in the kitchen when the fire started initially refused treatment, fire officials said. She was eventually taken to a hospital to be checked out a little after 10 p.m.

Firefighters were still working to get the blaze under control after 10 p.m., with flames and smoke reemerging often. The cause of the fire is not yet known.