A teenage girl is in critical condition at Comer Children’s Hospital after being rescued from a house fire on Chicago’s Southwest Side early Friday, according to officials.
The fire chief emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting that the home’s smoke detectors were not operational.
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Cell phone footage captured thick, dark smoke pouring from a residence near West 71st Street and South Hoyne Avenue. Firefighters arrived at the scene shortly before 11:30 a.m., where they found one person in need of rescue.
“During the primary search of the residence, firefighters discovered a 13-year-old girl inside,” reported Gary Brooks, Deputy Chief of the Chicago Fire Department’s 5th District. “They successfully removed her from the premises.”
First responders administered CPR to the girl while firefighters worked to extinguish the flames.
“I approached and saw a woman lying on the snow, struggling to breathe,” recounted witness Andrew Davis.
“She looked like she was in rough shape… 12 to 13 year old… we see her around, so it was tough to see,” neighbor Arnold Hernandez said.
The home was left gutted, with most of the damage to the front of the building.
The Chicago Fire Department says there were smoke detectors inside the home, but they were not working during the time of the fire. Thankfully, firefighters got there just in time.
“When you have smoke detectors but they don’t work,” Deputy District Chief Brooks said. “There is not enough time to alert the individual inside the home, so it has a little bit of time to build up heat and energy. It grows and gets very intense.”
Neighbors say they also jumped in to help and took in the family’s dog who was scared and ran out during the fire.
“We have the dog with us,” Hernandez said. “He’s not burned up, but you could see residue smoke on his paws. So we have him in our care now.”
The fire is believed to have been caused by an unattended candle, the Chicago Fire Department said.
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