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CHICAGO (WLS) — A fire broke out at a Northwest Side home on Tuesday afternoon, leaving a 19-year-old woman with disabilities dead and a man injured, the Chicago Fire Department said.
CFD said the fire started just before 1:30 p.m. in the second-floor unit of a North Park residential building in the 5200-block of North Bernard Street.
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Maria Nano lives down the street from the scene, and says she spoke with the victim’s aunt, who told her that she and the victim’s mother left for work on Tuesday afternoon, and about 15 minutes later, they got the call that their apartment near Bernard and Foster was on fire.
“It’s such a terrible tragedy,” Nano said.
Harry Walker, who lives across the street, shot some video from across the street on his phone. It shows smoke pouring out of the unit with firefighters on the scene.
Firefighters found the woman’s body in the bedroom, where, officials said, she was trapped as the fire spread. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office later identified her as Sallina Sareth.
Officials said said the two other people inside the unit tried to help Sareth get out, but the smoke was very thick.
“The deceased young lady was handicapped and unable to help herself get out. They tried to get her out, but there was so much smoke,” Walker said.
Nano says she was told by relatives that those two people who tried to rescue Sareth the victim’s father and nurse.
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A man was taken to a Stroger Hospital with minor injuries, officials said.
“I’m praying for the family, and I hope that the community can help in whatever way they can,” Nano said.
Firefighters said they fought the fire aggressively, and they were able to contain the damage to the one building.
The fire has been extinguished.
How the fire started was not immediately clear. CFD is investigating.
Officials did not immediately provide further information about the fire.
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