Four Firefighters Hurt in Stairwell Collapse

Firefighters fell into the basement of a home on the 5700 block of North Newark Avenue

Four firefighters were injured when a stairwell collapsed inside a burning Norwood Park home Thursday night on the Northwest Side.

Crews were called to the home on the 5700 block of North Newark Avenue shortly after 8 p.m., fire department spokesman Larry Langford said. He said no one was in the two-story home because it was under construction.

At about 8:25 p.m., four firefighters were climbing a stairwell to the second floor that collapsed, Langford said. The four fell into the basement and were pulled out moments later.

Paramedics took the first responders to Resurrection Medical Center in good condition with non-life-threatening injuries, Langford said.

Fire commissioner Jose Santiago said the firefighters mostly suffered ankle and back injuries. Some of the firefighters hit their heads and knocked their helmets off.

The two-alarm fire gutted the home but crews had it out shortly before 9 p.m. A cause was not immediately known.

Copyright CHIST - SunTimes
Contact Us