Chicago firefighters battled a multi-alarm blaze that engulfed a multi-unit apartment complex in the O'Hare neighborhood on Friday afternoon. The fire broke out at 4 p.m. at 8629 W. Foster Ave., prompting a swift response from the Chicago Fire Department, officials said.
Crews took around an hour to put down the flames, with one firefighter being transported to Lutheran General Hospital for treatment due to minor injuries sustained during the firefight. The fire department conducted defensive operations near Dirksen Elementary School, where residents were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
The fire was finally extinguished at 4:53 p.m., according to officials. On Twitter, the Chicago Fire Media account confirmed that an EMS Plan 1 was called for the incident, which involved a multi-unit complex. The tweet also mentioned that firefighters conducted defensive operations on scene before putting out the blaze.
As the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, authorities are urging residents in the area to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities immediately.
Crews took around an hour to put down the flames, with one firefighter being transported to Lutheran General Hospital for treatment due to minor injuries sustained during the firefight. The fire department conducted defensive operations near Dirksen Elementary School, where residents were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
The fire was finally extinguished at 4:53 p.m., according to officials. On Twitter, the Chicago Fire Media account confirmed that an EMS Plan 1 was called for the incident, which involved a multi-unit complex. The tweet also mentioned that firefighters conducted defensive operations on scene before putting out the blaze.
As the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, authorities are urging residents in the area to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the authorities immediately.
... I mean, a multi-alarm fire is crazy! How did it even start? Was it an electrical issue or something? I hope they find out what happened soon so we can all learn from it.
... that's terrible. They must have done everything they could to save everyone. I'm glad the firefighters were able to put out the flames eventually though - 1 hour is a pretty long time for a fire!
... it sounds like this one was really intense. Do you think anyone might have been watching the whole thing from their windows? That would be pretty scary.
... do you think we'll ever know for sure what happened?
. Like, one multi-alarm blaze and already the firefighters are dealing with defensive operations? That's just a lot of pressure on them, you know? And what's up with the evacuation of Dirksen Elementary School? I mean, I get it, safety first and all that, but can't they at least give parents some heads up before the kids need to be whisked away from school? 
. And one minor injury out of 100+ people? That's just crazy talk 
. Can't we have a fire department that can put out fires without causing injuries, you know? Just saying... 
. Glad that no one was seriously hurt, but still super concerning. You gotta wonder what led to such a massive blaze in the first place. Was it an electrical issue or maybe something more serious? The fact that firefighters had to conduct defensive operations nearby is just another layer of complexity. Anyway, hope everyone in the affected area is safe and sound 
. Can't help but think about how fires can spread so quickly these days... 
I mean, one hour is pretty quick to put down the flames but also kinda worries me that it might've spread if they didn't get there so fast.
It's crazy how quickly things can escalate, though. One minute it's just a normal day, the next everyone's scrambling to get outta dodge. 
Anyway, it's good that the authorities are taking this seriously and asking people to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Safety first, right? 
also, what's with the defensive operations near a school? is that like a precautionary measure too? 
.
. But at the same time, I gotta give credit to those firefighters - they were on it ASAP, putting their lives on the line to save people and property 
. But hey, I guess progress is good for a change... I guess 
.
just saw that crazy video of the O'Hare apartment complex fire and I'm still shaking my head... an hour to put it out? That's insane! 
I'm so glad Dirksen Elementary School was evacuated as a precaution, safety first, you know? 
. Anyway, fingers crossed the investigation finds out what happened ASAP so we can all breathe a sigh of relief 
.
. I was actually watching a rerun of Full House earlier and it got me thinking - what if Danny Tanner had to deal with something like this? I think he would've totally freaked out 
. It's not ideal, but at least it's better than nothing, right?
it's amazing how fast they responded to the scene 1 hour to put down the flames is super fast 
anyway, hope that injured firefighter recovers soon 
.
anyway, hope those firefighters got their paychecks with a nice bonus for having a 'burning' experience 
. On a serious note, glad no one was super badly hurt, fingers crossed the investigation finds out what really went down (literally!) and not just some crazy electrical issue...
oh man what a crazy afternoon for those neighbors gotta feel so scared when they see their building on fire like 4 pm just walking outta work and BAM! flames everywhere how many people were living in that complex? 
defo need to check those buildings closely while they're investigating why it happened