Girl, 8, jumps to safety from burning home
CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — An 8-year-old Chicago girl whose mother was at work jumped onto a mattress to safety from her family’s third-story window during a fire.
Chicago Fire Department officials said on Thursday after conducting interviews, they confirmed that a neighbor placed the mattress outside of the window before the oldest child jumped onto it.
Firefighters who arrived at the burning apartment on the city’s South Side just before midnight Wednesday found the girl safe outside. They were able to rescue two younger children who were inside, including the girl’s 5-year-old brother, who was at the window poised to follow his sister, and a 2-year old boy, the fire department said.
District Chief Frank Velez told the Chicago Tribune he was impressed by the girl’s quick thinking in a life-or-death situation.
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Police spokeswoman Kellie Bartoli said there were no charges pending against the children’s mother, explaining that a neighbor was babysitting them. Velez, however, said he did not know if the neighbor was in the apartment when the fire began.
Velez said the three children were taken to Comer Children’s Hospital to be evaluated for smoke inhalation, and that their conditions had been stabilized. He said the cause of the fire was under investigation.