2-11 Alarm fire with a Mayday response in Chicago, 3-31-19

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

Two Chicago firefighters were hospitalized after falling two stories through a hole in the third floor of an apartment building located near Monroe Street and Albany Avenue. The incident occurred during a fire that broke out on Sunday evening, which quickly spread to a neighboring 1Â½-story structure.

A mayday call was issued around 8:45 p.m. Saturday after two firefighters fell all the way down to the first floor. One of them managed to escape on his own, while the other was assisted by colleagues and taken to an ambulance. Both firefighters were reported in serious-to-critical condition upon arrival at the hospital but were alert and talking by Sunday night. They were expected to remain under observation for further evaluation.

More than 100 firefighters and medics responded to the scene. It appears that the building did not have any working smoke detectors. While no one was found living on the second or third floors, there were individuals staying on the first floor.

This report comes from Chi-Town Fire Photos:

On Sunday night, the MFAO dispatched units to a working fire at 3104 W. Monroe Street. Upon arrival, Battalion 18 reported a three-story brick building with heavy fire on the first, second, and third floors, as well as an exposure risk. A Still and Box were requested shortly after. Companies deployed more than six hand lines and had two truck companies operating on the roof.

For a short time, heavy fire was visible venting through the roof and top floor. During operations, multiple firefighters fell through a hole in the floor, triggering a Mayday alert and activating the 2-11 response. It is believed that the RIT team successfully rescued one of the injured firefighters from the rear of the building. Despite the intensity of the fire, the injuries sustained were not life-threatening. These photos were taken about ten minutes into the incident.

Chi-Town Fire Photos