Man Dies From Injuries Following Arlington Heights Fire

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — A late Wednesday night fire sent one man to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, from which he later died from, and displaced residents of 48 units in a large multifamily apartment building complex. The fire occurred just before midnight in the 2300 block of E. Olive Street.

According to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, the 57-year-old man died Thursday at 3:54 p.m. at the Loyola University Medical Center.

According to the Arlington Heights Fire Department, about 30 firefighters from six surrounding departments responded to the incident that occurred at around 11:55 p.m. Dispatch had received a number of calls reporting smoke in a first-floor hallway and alarms going off. The first arriving crews found a fully involved first floor unit.

Crews were able to make entry into the involved unit and quickly had water on the fire. The interior search of the unit found the man and he was removed from the apartment. He was treated on the scene for life-threatening injuries and taken to a local hospital, according to officials.

Due to the heavy smoke, search and evacuation efforts were conducted in units adjacent to the apartment where the fire started. Additional living units were evacuated throughout the building, though the main fire damage was contained to the apartment where the fire originated. Officials said heavy smoke damage was sustained on the first floor.

"We do not know how many actual residents were displaced in the 48 units," Arlington Heights Fire Department Chief Lance Harris told Patch. "[As of Thursday afternoon] residents are being let back into their units."

There were no firefighters injured during the incident. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Arlington Heights was assisted by the State Fire Marshal’s office and the Arlington Heights Police Department.