September 30, 2009 6:00 AM
The first call came at about 12:30 a.m. for a fire on the 3800 block of North Lawndale Avenue and was quickly escalated to an EMS plan 1, which required five ambulances at the scene, said Chicago Fire Department Spokesman Kevin MacGregor. The situation was under control by 1:20 a.m.
Benito Quinones was pronounced dead at 3:10 a.m. at the Cook County medical examiner's office. An autopsy is scheduled for later today.
The fire is believed to have begun in a bedroom and living area on the first floor of the two-story brick apartment building, said MacGregor. The bedroom was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived.
After they fought the fire in the bedroom they found an elderly man who was pronounced dead at the scene, said MacGregor.
Paramedics also transported three women and one man in fair to good condition to area hospitals, he said. He did not know the ages of the victims but said they were elderly. Another man managed to escape and was not injured, MacGregor said.
Firefighters also rescued a dog on the second floor that did not seem injured. The dog was handed over to neighbors.
The first floor of the property was damaged but there was little damage to the second floor apartment.
MacGregor said a preliminary search of the property did not turn up any working smoke detectors. No one reported hearing any. Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the fire.
-- Carlos Sadovi