Disabled veteran killed in Chicago fire at apartment on city's West Side, neighbors say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man died in a fire at an apartment in the Austin neighborhood on the city's West Side Wednesday morning.

Once firefighters got to the building in the 1600 block of North Mayfield near North Avenue, they were met with heavy fire conditions but were still able to go inside and attack the flames quickly.

"They were met with extreme heat and fire, made a nice aggressive interior attack and quickly stopped it from spreading to the next building," said CFD Deputy District Chief Kelly Burns.

Fire officials say one person was found dead on the first floor. The medical examiner's office has yet to identify the victim, but neighbors said he was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who used a wheelchair.

"Knowing that he was disabled when they first opened the door and they pulled out his wheelchair, I knew he had to have been in there," neighbor Koya Scott said.

Fire investigators have not yet said what may have caused this tragedy. Aside from the person who died, a firefighter also suffered non-life threatening injuries.