Apartment Fire Displaces 8 In Oak Lawn, Kitten Rescued

OAK LAWN, IL — Seven people escaped a fire in a multi-family building Sunday afternoon in Oak Lawn, fire officials said. A neighbor in the building next door suffered smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Around 1:30 p.m., Oak Lawn firefighters responded to a fire in an apartment building in the 9800 block of South Ridgeland Avenue. Flames and smoke were pouring out of multiple floors in the building, rear deck and garage. The fire was struck within a half hour and kept from spreading into an apartment building next door.

Two adults and five children escaped from the first unit. The other unit was unoccupied and the resident returned after the fire was extinguished. Firefighters remained on the scene until 4:30 p.m.

The building next door sustained minor damage from heat and smoke. A resident there was brought to Advocate Christ Medical Center with smoke inhalation.

Oak Lawn Fire Chief Mike Mavrogeorge said eight people were displaced by the fire. Firefighters also rescued a kitten; three cats are unaccounted for.