West Side Blaze Forces 18 People From Their Homes
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A huge fire ripped through a home in the Austin neighborhood late Wednesday night, forcing more than a dozen people out into the freezing cold.
The fire started around 10 p.m. at a 2 ½-story house at 18 N. Mason Av.
The house was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene. It took two hours for firefighters to bring the blaze under control.
At one point, a transformer blew, causing a live power line to fall into the front yard, trapping several firefighters. A rapid intervention team cut through a fence in order to free the firefighters from the yard. Two were evaluated at the scene, but were expected to be okay.
The American Red Cross provided assistance to 11 adults and 6 children who were displaced from the house and neighboring homes due to the fire.
The downed power line knocked out power for about 130 homes and businesses, but service has since been restored.
No injuries were reported.
