Firefighters rescued the person from a mezzanine after flames broke out on the fifth floor.
CHICAGO, Ill. — A resident jumped from a fifth-floor apartment early Friday after fire broke out in an Edgewater high-rise, leaving the person seriously injured as firefighters worked through heavy smoke near North Sheridan Road.
Chicago fire crews were called about 5:47 a.m. to a building near West Foster Avenue and North Sheridan Road after reports of smoke and flames on the fifth floor. The fire drew a large emergency response, sent one person to a hospital and forced traffic changes during the morning rush.
Fire officials said the resident landed on a mezzanine area below and was rescued by firefighters. The person was taken to a hospital in serious condition and was described by officials as “conscious and speaking with responders.” Several other residents were checked for minor smoke exposure at the scene and did not need to be hospitalized.
Crews first attacked the fire from the floor below, a standard tactic in high-rise fires. Conditions inside the building worsened as heat and smoke spread through the fifth-floor area, prompting firefighters to also use an aerial ladder truck from outside the building. Flames were visible from the apartment as crews worked to knock the fire down.
Firefighters from several companies searched the building and found no fatalities. No firefighter injuries were reported. Officials said the fire was extinguished by about 6:30 a.m., less than an hour after crews were dispatched.
Sheridan Road was closed near Foster Avenue during the response, with traffic diverted away from the area. Transit officials also rerouted buses serving the corridor while fire equipment remained in place. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Fire investigators remained assigned to the case Friday. The next findings are expected to focus on where the fire started, how it spread and whether any building systems played a role.
Author note: Last updated Friday, June 26, 2026.