By Frank Abderholden
The Chicago Sun Times
ANTIOCH, Ill. — A woman who was eventually charged with arson attacked a firefighter with a knife as he tried to rescue her in downtown Antioch from a small fire early Thursday, officials said.
But Lisa Hurmis, 45, of the 9300 block of Main Street, was unsuccessful in her attack when the first firefighter to come through the apartment door was 6-foot 9-inch Bryan Meisinger, officials said.
“You go into a building to try and help someone, and they come at you with a knife,” said Chris Lienhardt, fire department spokesman. “He just quickly got [the knife] out of her hand and got her out the door.”
Hurmis was taken to Bond Court late Thursday and charged with aggravated assault, residential arson and aggravated arson, said Cmdr. Jim Ruth. He said there were two apartments in the building in the rear of BJ’s Sports Center Fashions for Men and Women.
Fire officials arrived at the blaze after receiving a 911 call from a male tenant about 1:30 a.m.
Ruth said Hurmis had called police Wednesday to complain that boxes in the area could block her escape in the event there was a fire, but authorities said they found the complaint was unfounded.
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