Excerpts from abc7chicago.com:
The Chicago Fire Department battled an extra-alarm fire in the Bridgeport neighborhood Monday morning after responding at about 8:22 a.m. to the 2900-block of South Archer Avenue.
At one point the smoke enveloped several city blocks. The fire appeared to have broken out inside a vacant church.
“The fire got into the trusses and we immediately evacuated them back out of the building,” said CFD Chief Jim McDonough. “Bowstring truss is one of our most dangerous fires.
With two two-story buildings on either side, letting the fire consume the church was not an option. Residents from both adjacent buildings were able to get out safely.
The storefront where the fire appears to have started belonged, until recently, to the Restore Center Church. Both the State Fire Marshall and ATF are part of the investigation into the cause of the blaze. While inspection records do not point to any violations since 2017, Restore Center’s Pastor said they decided to leave their temporary home here as a result of a leaking roof and other electrical issues that had not been addressed. The church had only been at this location for around six months.
One firefighter was transported to a hospital for a minor injury, CFD said. No civilian injuries were reported.
