Chicago firefighter killed battling house fire
CHICAGO (AP) — A 33-year veteran of the Chicago Fire Department died and another was injured battling a house fire on the city's southwest side.
Fire department spokeswoman Meg Ahlheim identified the dead firefighter as 54-year-old Captain Herbert Johnson. He died after being taken to the University of Chicago Hospital. The injured firefighter is reported in good condition at an Oak Lawn hospital.
Friday's fire was in the attic of the two-story frame house. Officials say the firefighters were injured when a part of the building suddenly erupted into flames.
A witness to the fire, Cecilia Estaban, told the Chicago Sun-Times she observed firefighters entering the house and moments later bringing out a colleague. She described the firefighter as "looking burned or damaged by smoke."
Authorities say residents of the home escaped uninjured.
