Chicago Firefighters Battle Inferno at Roseland Furniture Store

CHICAGO — Firefighters from the Chicago Fire Department responded to a large fire at Elegant Furniture & Linen located at 112th Street and Michigan Avenue in Roseland on Thursday evening. The blaze broke out around 6 p.m., injuring one firefighter and leading to significant damage.

Upon arrival, fire crews encountered heavy flames and thick black smoke emanating from the building. Firefighters immediately initiated a search for any trapped individuals inside. Fortunately, all civilians were able to evacuate, but one firefighter became temporarily trapped and activated his emergency alarm.

According to Deputy Commissioner Brian Hamel, the danger was acute due to the presence of highly flammable materials in the structure, as most of its contents consisted of mattresses and furniture. “It has a heavy fire load; one of the more dangerous fires you can go to is a commercial building with mattresses and furniture that are flammable,” Hamel stated.

The store’s owner, Ahmad Zoubi, escaped the fire along with four others. Zoubi shared his harrowing experience of the fire’s rapid escalation: “I called the fire department, and not five minutes later, they came in, the fire starts crazy.” Zoubi, who emigrated from Jordan 25 years ago, expressed his distress over losing 13 years of hard work. “It went up in smoke,” he added.

Firefighters battled the flames for hours but soon recognized that the fire was beyond control. By 8:10 p.m., efforts were still underway to douse the flames. Chicago Fire Department officials stated that the building would need to be demolished due to the extensive damage.

Fire authorities confirmed that the injured firefighter was transported to a local hospital in good condition; however, his identity has not been disclosed. Fortunately, no other injuries were reported in connection with the incident.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and fire officials plan to provide further updates as more information becomes available.