Evanston Fire Department News Release:

On Monday, January 22, at approximately 9:45 a.m., Evanston Firefighters responded to reports of a basement fire in a single-family residence at 1143 Florence Ave.

First-arriving companies reached the scene within minutes, encountering billowing black smoke and heavy fire conditions at the rear of the structure. The response was quickly upgraded to a second alarm due to advanced fire conditions, bringing in additional resources to assist with fire investigation and City coverage.

Due to the heavy fire load, the fire quickly advanced to additional floors, requiring four fire lines and the assistance of seven fire departments to manage the advancing fire conditions. Exposure lines limited the fire spread to an adjacent structure while crews contained fire within the original building. Due to an aggressive and coordinated fire attack, the fire was under control within an hour.

Two occupants in the building safely evacuated with one cat and a dog before the arrival of fire crews. Unfortunately, due to the rapid fire spread, one cat could not be evacuated and perished in the fire. Extensive structural damage led to a partial collapse of the first floor, trapping two firefighters. A mayday was called, and both firefighters were rapidly extricated from the structure. The firefighters were transported in stable condition to a local area hospital for evaluation.

Extensive smoke and fire damage resulted in the displacement of all residents within the building. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may dial 3-1-1 in Evanston.