UPDATE: Chicago Fire Department now confirms the deaths of two firefighters in building collapse. 19 others injured. Fireground audio from this morning's mayday.
CFD’s Corey Ankum and Edward Stringer remembered
AlertPage.net fireground audio (first 90 minutes) of this morning’s mayday (around 8:10 in the audio)
WLS-TV slideshow from chopper
Live CFD audio here and here
Firefighter Close Calls
More of today’s fire and EMS news from STATter911.com
Information coming in from various Chicago news outlets this morning of a collapse at a fire in the 1700 block of East 75th Street. The fire was reported just before 7:00 AM CST.
UPDATE at 12:03 CST from WFLD-TV:
Two firefighters were killed, and 14 others were hurt — six critically — after four were trapped in a vacant burning building on Chicago’s South Side Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Fire Media Affairs Dir. Larry Langford confirmed two firefighters were killed in the blaze. One died at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, while the other died at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He did not immediately have information on their rank or which fire company they came from.Fire Dept. Commissioner Robert Hoff is expected to give an update and provide information on the deceased firefighters at Christ Medical Center, Langford said.
UPDATE at 9:53 CST: At 9:39 AM ChicagoBreakingNews.com reported the following-
Two firefighters died after a wall collapsed during a 3-11 alarm fire at an abandoned South Side commercial building this morning, authorities said.
Police squad cars escorted two ambulances north on Lake Shore Drive to Northwestern as ramps were closed to clear it of traffic, according to fire communications. One of the firefighters taken there has died, sources said. The condition of the other one was not known.
A third trapped firefighter was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died.
The fourth firefighter buried in the rubble, and as many as 11 other firefighters, were also taken to hospitals. Their conditions were not available.
At about 9:50 CST Commissioner Robert Hoff confirmed that 16 firefighters were injured with six serious to critical. He would not confirm the fatalities that WGN-TV says have been confirmed by the medical examiner. Commissioner Huff said he would provide an update from the hospital.
Latest from MyFoxChicago at 8:50 AM CST:
On the 100-year anniversary of the Union Stockyards fire that claimed the lives of 21 Chicago firemen, 10 ambulances were sent to a fire on the South Side, where four firefighters were trapped in an abandoned dry cleaners building Wednesday morning. As of 8:35 a.m., we’re getting word that the fourth firefighter has been found.
Two firefighters were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital about 7:30 a.m. with a police escort all the way up Lake Shore Drive.
A third firefighter was taken to Christ Medical Center. No word yet on the condition of the fourth firefighter.
The chaplain is at Northwestern hospital, which is indicative of the serious situation for one or two of the firefighters. We have no official information on the status of the firefighters.
Four firefighters were trapped this morning when a wall collapsed in a fire at an abandoned South Side commercial building, authorities said.
Two were quickly rescued and rescue operations were continuing for the other two.
The conditions of the firefighters was not known.
The fire was raised to two and then three alarms to save the trapped firefighters. Firefighters also reported having problems with frozen hydrants.
On the South Side Wednesday morning, dozens of firefighters were at the scene of a three-alarm fire on East 75th Street near Stony Island.
Reports say part of a wall collapsed in the building fire, trapping four firefighters.
Emergency crews were working to rescue the firefighters.
