By Bill Carey
FireRescue1
CHICAGO — A Chicago firefighter is in serious condition after falling from a roof while at an apartment fire on the city’s Northwest Side, officials reported.
The Chicago Fire Department stated that firefighters initially received a report of multiple people trapped in a burning three-story building on Nov. 3.
Upon arrival, crews encountered intense flames on the second floor, extending to the third floor, FOX 32 reported.
Preventing a mayday event
About 10 minutes into the call, a mayday alert was issued after a firefighter lost footing while working on the roof and fell three stories down a light shaft.
Fire department officials reported that the firefighter sustained serious injuries and was transported to Stroger Hospital for treatment.
The incident follows a similar fall on Nov. 1 in New York, where an FDNY firefighter was critically injured after a 40-foot fall down a light shaft during a five-alarm fire in Manhattan.
According to fire officials, the firefighter was helping to position a hose when the window he leaned on gave way, leading to the fall.
