3-year-old girl killed in Bronzeville apartment fire

A 3-year-old girl died in an apartment fire early Saturday in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side.

Multiple 911 calls around 1:30 a.m. led fire crews to the blaze in the 600 block of East 43rd Street, where a “heavy fire” had broken out in the rear of the three-story apartment building, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.

Firefighters forced their way into the building and tried to stifle flames that were blowing out of the rear door.

The girl, who was on the second floor, was found unresponsive once officials cleared enough of the fire to start a search, Langford said.

Crews “literally ran” to the ambulance with her, performing CPR on the move, Langford said.

She was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital initially in “very critical” condition with smoke inhalation and burns as paramedics tried CPR, but was pronounced dead shortly after, Langford said. Her name has not yet been released.

The girl had been home with her 13-year-old brother, who was listed in good condition.

The girl’s mother, who was at work at the time, pulled up to the scene in her car as firefighters were responding to the blaze, officials said.

The fire was ruled to be incendiary, or caused by a human event such as cooking, according to Langford.

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