MARCH 8, 2015
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Accelerant was found on the scene of a fire that injured a
79-year-old woman and her son early Sunday in the East Garfield Park
neighborhood, police said.
The blaze started around 3:05 a.m. in a coach house in the
300 block of South Albany Avenue on the West Side, said Chicago Fire Department
Cmdr. Frank Velez.
As a result of the fire, a 79-year-old woman was transported
to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, and a man in his 40s was taken
to Mount Sinai Hospital, said police and fire officials. Both were listed in
critical condition.
The woman, who suffered smoke inhalation, and her
45-year-old son are expected to survive, according to police, who said they
live together.
Police dogs found accelerant on the scene of the blaze,
which is believed to be arson, according to police.
A fire erupted on the same block earlier in the week, and no
arrests have been made, police said.
The blaze was struck out around 3:41 a.m., and fire
officials are still investigating the cause of the fire, Velez said.