Homeowner Injured In Oak Lawn House Fire

OAK LAWN, IL -- Firefighters battled a house fire early Monday morning in Oak Lawn. The homeowner was injured and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center. The house is deemed a total loss, fire officials said..

Oak Lawn firefighters were called to the 9300 block of South Parkside around 2:45 a.m. Flames were pushing through the roof. The 59-year-old homeowner was being treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.

“He tried to fight the fire himself but smoke and flames drove him out of house,” said Chief Robert Tutko of the Oak Lawn Fire Department. “When the first police officer arrived the man had gotten out of the house and was on the driveway. He was having difficulty breathing.”

The man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center where he is being treated for smoke inhalation and burns to his hands, feet and face.

Tutko said Oak Lawn and Evergreen Park fire crews had difficulty accessing the house because of hoarder-like conditions inside. The fire was extinguished within 30 to 45 minutes.

“We initiated an attack from the front and back,” Tutko said. “We kept the fire contained to the building of origin and it did not spread to any other houses.”

Fire officials believe the fire started in the first floor bathroom. Tutko said flames pushed through the attic and part of the roof. The first floor is completely gutted. Due the injury of the homeowner, the Illinois State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause.

“I cannot stress enough the importance of having working smoke alarms on every floor of your home and to reduce clutter,” Tutko said.

Oak Lawn Village Manager Larry Deetjen said the home has been cited before by the village’s property maintenance division for code violations prior to the fire.

No firefighters were injured and there were no pets inside the house. The investigation remains ongoing.

Photo provided by Oak Lawn Fire Department