The cause of an Edgewater extra-alarm fire that injured several people and involved more than a dozen rescues is being blamed on unattended cooking, fire officials said.
The extra-alarm blaze, which took about 125 firefighters to extinguish about 1:40 p.m., started on the fourth floor of the Pines of Edgewater, 5439 N. Kenmore Ave., fire officials said.
UPDATE KENMORE FIRE: CFD Office of Fire Investigation (OFI) has determined the 2-11 on north Kenmore was "accidental" originating as a result of unattended cooking in a 4th floor unit. The occupant was alerted by a smoke alarm. Fire spread outward from open apartment door.
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) April 4, 2025
At least a dozen ambulances were sent to the scene, and at least nine people were taken to nearby hospitals. One person was in serious condition and the rest were in fair condition, Chicago Fire Department District Chief Robert Jurewicz told reporters at the scene.
The eight-story brick high-rise is primarily occupied by older adults, and because some needed help leaving their units, the fire department called for more equipment and trucks.
The fourth floor was left uninhabitable for now.
“They had to fight through 30 feet of fire just to get to the apartment where the fire was,” Jurewicz said. “These guys did a tremendous job.”
