Large porch fire spreads to roof, 2nd building in Albany Park, Chicago fire officials say
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A large Northwest Side porch fire spread to the roof and a second building on Thursday afternoon, the Chicago Fire Department said.
Officials said the building's back wooden porches were on fire when firefighters arrived. The flames spreading quickly, but fortunately no was seriously injured.
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The Chicago Fire Department said firefighters initially responded to the fire in the Albany Park neighborhood's 5100-block of North Kimball Avenue around 4 p.m.
The flames started at a back wooden porch of the three-story eight-unit building. Smoke billowing from the fire could be seen for miles.
The fire then engulfed the building's porches, and flames started shooting from the roof before spreading to a second building.
"I just saw the smoke like going up like crazy, and I heard the people screaming in the back of the building, like running," said Luis Llangari who lives nearby. "They're like, 'Help! Please help!'"
I actually overhead some lady crying because she just got her citizenship and all her papers were in there for that citizenship.Henry, neighbor
A neighbor named Henry who lives in the building next door, which was also singed by the fire, spoke with ABC7.
"First it was just the porch, and then it just looked like the whole house because flames were just, the windows were popping in the third floor," Henry said. "I was scared for my house because I was like, 'Wow, it looks really bad.'"
At one point, CFD had to upgrade their response because the flames have proven to be extremely stubborn. Nearly 100 firefighters were called to the scene.
"We have no idea how it started, but obviously somewhere in the rear apartments, in the kitchens," CFD District Chief Jim McDonough said. "The back porches got involved before we got here mid-afternoon. It had a pretty good head start on us."
The fire appeared to be out, at one point, but then, it flared up again, which prompted CFD to send more manpower and equipment.
"Blasting the water into the inferno, trying to get it out, I mean, billows of smoke," said Braxton Bowers, who lives nearby. "Yeah, it was really intense."
Firefighters got the upper hand after pouring water from two ladders and from the ground.
A search of the building turned up no victims. No residents were injured, but much of the building is devastated.
"I actually overhead some lady crying because she just got her citizenship and all her papers were in there for that citizenship," Henry said.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated. Officials said all eight units had fire damage. At least five of the apartments were occupied by families.
