Two small children were found dead and a young boy was seriously hurt in a “fast-spreading” house fire in West Woodlawn, officials said.
In addition, two women were hospitalized and a firefighter was injured.
About 10:30 p.m., crews responded to the 6600 block of South Champlain Avenue after reports of a fire in the basement of a two-story building with people trapped inside, Deputy District Chief Mike Carbone said at the scene.
“Companies made an aggressive attack, trying to knock that fire down and make a simultaneous search for any victims that were in there,” he said.
The blaze had quickly spread to the floor above, and firefighters went in “under very heavy fire conditions,” Carbone said.
A boy believed to be about 6 years old was rescued from the house and taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in serious-to-critical condition. Two women also were injured and taken to University of Chicago Medical Center.
When the fire was put out, firefighters found two young children in the basement. They were pronounced dead on the scene. Their ages and genders were not immediately available.
One firefighter was injured in the course of the response. He was taken to an area hospital in fair-to-serious condition. Information about the nature of his injuries was not immediately available.
No smoke detectors were found in the basement, officials said.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The Fire Department’s Office of Fire Investigation was on scene along with bomb and arson investigators.
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