Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

Two men who were trapped on the second floor of a burning townhome unit Saturday night — one of whom is confined to a wheelchair — were rescued by firefighters from the St. Charles Fire Department, Fire Chief Joe Schelstreet said Sunday.

Firefighters responded at 11:47 p.m. to the 1700 block of Cumberland Green Drive in St. Charles, where they found heavy fire conditions and an older man confined to a wheelchair unable to get out of a bedroom, while his son was hanging over the balcony struggling for help. “Heavy smoke was pushing over him from the sliding glass doors — the father was still in the building,” Schelstreet said.

Firefighters used a portable ladder to immediately rescue the men, he said. “A fireman accessed the balcony and carried the father down the ladder,” Schelstreet said. They then assisted the son out of the unit, he said.

St. Charles firefighters were assisted by firefighters from Geneva, Batavia, West Chicago and South Elgin.

This from John Tulipano:

At approximately 23:45 on May 30th,2015, St Charles was dispatched to a reported fire at 1742 Cumberland Green with a report of  people trapped. First arriving Eng 102 reported heavy fire from the second floor of a 10-unit, two-story frame (condo/apartment complex) with a person hanging from a balcony. Engine 102 rescued one person from the 2nd floor balcony and found a second subject in a wheel chair in a first floor bedroom.

Companies made a very quick knock down of the fire with no extension to attached units.  Fire was well under control when I arrived. One civilian was transported and another was treated on scene.

John

John Tulipano photo

John Tulipano photo

John Tulipano photo

Tags: Fire Chief Joe Schelstreet, fire scene photos, John Tulipano, St Charles Fire Department