A baby and two women were saved Friday from an apartment fire in Des Plaines. (CBS)
Reporting Mike Krauser
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Updated 12/24/11 at 11 a.m.
CHICAGO (STMW) — Three people — including a baby — were rescued from a basement fire in a northwest suburban Des Plaines townhouse Friday evening.
The Des Plaines Fire Department responded to a call about people trapped in a burning residence at 1392 Fargo Ave., about 6:43 p.m., said Des Plaines Fire Department Chief Alan Wax.
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Firefighters were dispatched and arrived at the scene in about four minutes, according to Wax.
They saw that most the flames and smoke came from the basement and identified the blaze as a basement fire, Wax said.
Firefighters went into the basement and found three victims.
Two victims, a woman and a male baby, were unconscious. Firefighters removed them from the building and resuscitated them before moving them to ambulances.
The third victim, a woman, suffered minor burns.
The three victims were taken to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge undetermined condition, but all indications are that they will survive the ordeal.
“Our guys arrived quickly and they did an outstanding job of locating the victims, getting them out, resuscitating them,” Wax said. “It could have very well been a much worse tragedy.”
A gasoline can that was accidentally dropped down the basement stairs caused the fire when a water heater ignited gas fumes, Wax said.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
