One Dead, One Critical After West Side Blaze

The two may have been squatters in the building

A woman is dead and her husband is in critical condition after a blaze early Sunday at a vacant building in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, according to the fire department.

The “heavy fire” began in the vacant building in the 900 block of North Lawndale Avenue about 5:45 a.m., Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said.

Firefighters, who put the blaze out in 15 minutes, found a man who was badly burned inside the home, Langford said. He claimed his wife was still stuck inside, who firefighters later found on the second floor of the building, Langford said.

The woman, in her 40s, was dead at the scene, Langford said. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office could not immediately confirm the fatality.

The man, whose exact age was not immediately known, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.

The two may have been squatters in the building, which has been vacant for years, Langford said.

Three adults and a teenager were displaced from a neighboring home that was partially damaged by the fire, Langford said. Human Services was at the scene to help them find housing.
 

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