1 Dead, Another Seriously Injured in Northwest Side Fire

A man is dead and his mother was seriously injured after a fire in a five-story apartment building in the Dunning neighborhood on the Northwest Side early Saturday, fire officials said.

Firefighters received a report of a fire in a five-story building in the 6400 block of West Belle Plaine Avenue at 2:05 a.m., Fire Media Affairs spokesman Joe Roccasalva said.

The fire began on the fifth floor of the multi-unit building, Roccasalva said.

Michael Betz, 49, of the 6400 block of West Belle Plaine Avenue, was pronounced dead at Resurrection Medical Center at 3 a.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

His mother was taken in serious condition to Our Lady of the Resurrection Medical Center, Roccasalva said.

Another resident from a nearby unit was displaced due to smoke damage causing the unit to be uninhabitable, Roccasalva said. A warming bus was at the scene but not needed by residents.

An EMS Plan 1, which sends at least five ambulances to the scene, was called for the fire.