A man about 60 was killed during a fire that engulfed a six-unit apartment building in Bridgeport on Thursday afternoon.
At least nine people called 911 around 1:10 p.m. to let officials know about a fire in the 2600 block of South Wells Street, in the Bridgeport neighborhood, said police and Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.
Before firefighters got there, good Samaritans, including a Chicago Police officer, were trying to run in and save the man, but they were “beaten back” by flames that were “blowing out the front of the building,” as well as thick smoke, Langford and the officer said.
The man, who suffered burns to his body, was found during a primary search of the building, said Langford and police Officer Steve Rusanov. He was dead on the scene.
No working smoke detectors were found, and it was still unclear what started the fire. Nobody else was hurt, Langford said.
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The Office of Fire Investigation was on the scene.