Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

night fire scene

Quinn Ford, Chicago Tribune
Firefighters work at the scene of a fire in a three-story residential building on the corner of West 21st Street and South Wolcott Avenue in Pilsen on Sunday.

An extra-alarm fire that tore through two apartment buildings in Pilsen early Sunday morning forced 21 people from their homes, officials said.

Firefighters were called about 1:40 a.m. to a three-story residential building at 1900 W. 21st St., officials said. When crews arrived, they found fire on all three floors of a stairwell in the building, said Chicago Fire Department Assistant Deputy Commissioner Mark Nielsen.

Some residents had to be rescued from the building by firefighters, (plus) a worker from a factory located across Wolcott Street used a forklift to help a man jump from a second-floor window, according to fire officials and witnesses.

The bulk of the fire was isolated to the third floor of the building but did reach the cockloft allowing flames to spread to the adjoining apartment building.

apartment building ire at night

Eric Haak photo