3 injured, 2 critically, in Uptown high-rise fire at Ella Flagg Young Apartments

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago fire officials said three people were injured, two critically, in an apartment fire Tuesday evening.

The third person was in serious condition, CFD said.

Firefighters were called to a high rise building in the 4600-block of North Sheridan between Lawrence and Wilson shortly after 5 p.m., a Chicago Housing Authority senior building called the Ella Flagg Young Apartments.

Firefighters could be seen inside a fourth floor unit with a window that had been broken out. Officials said the fire was contained to that unit, which was gutted, and sent smoke up several floors.

"We smelled it," said Verneise Taylor, who evacuated from the 11th floor of the building. "And I went down the stairs. But once... the stairs was so smoky, but the firemen was in there directing us down."

The immediate concern for first responders were the elderly residents of the high-rise and their mobility, and if they needed to evacuate anyone. As Taylor descended the stairs she encountered a heartbreaking scene.

"When I got to the fourth floor, I couldn't go no further, so I had to go across the fourth floor. They was resuscitating a lady on the fourth floor," she said. "She was laying on the ground, and like four of them was trying to bring her back."

The fire was extinguished quickly with the help of hallway sprinklers. Officials said most of the residents sheltered in their units, but some chose to evacuate.

"We did do a top to bottom search in the east and the west stairwell. All searches at this time are going to be complete and negative," said District Chief Shun T. Haynes.

"All of these people old, like I was coming down, and there was a lady trying to get up. She's taking step by step," Taylor said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.