Overview

• The blaze erupted around 1:50 a.m. in the rear of a four-story apartment building in the 7000 block of North Rockwell Street on Chicago’s Far North Side.
• Three people died, a woman was taken to St. Francis Hospital in critical condition, and a 17-year-old girl and a boy were transported to Lurie Children’s Hospital.
• Firefighters rescued six residents by ladder as three others jumped from windows to escape heavy flames.
• A partial roof collapse prevented a complete interior search, and officials say the structure must be dismantled before crews can finish it.
• The cause remains under investigation, with officials saying they cannot rule out smoking, as the fire department’s investigation unit, the Department of Buildings and utility crews continue work and verify occupant counts; residents were barred from reentering due to burned stairways.