A fire broke out in an East Garfield Park transient hotel this morning injuring four people.
The fire started on the west side of the third floor of the J.R. Plaza Hotel at 3001 W. Jackson Blvd. Fire officials say it spread quickly through the hall and up to a unit on the fourth floor.
One woman jumped from a third story window and is expected to survive. Three others also suffered minor injuries. Several rescues were made by ladders, according to Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.
Fire officials say the loss could have been much bigger and the fire had the potential to be disastrous.
Antoine Jones, who was rescued from the third floor of the hotel, had just checked in for a week because his home up the road burned down yesterday.
"I'm just trying to figure out where I'm going to get some money and where I'm going next," Jones said.
The J.R. Plaza Hotel is a transient and long-term stay facility. It was about one-third full when the fire broke out.
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"We could have easily had many fatalities in this type of building," said Mark Nielsen, assistant deputy fire commissioner for the Chicago Fire Department.
Fire officials credit the quick thinking of firefighters for saving lives.
"That was a key to this success, getting firefighters and equipment here early on," Nielsen said.
A fire department spokesman said there were working fire alarms in the building. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. In the meantime, the Red Cross is helping about two dozen people displaced by the fire.
