9 taken to hospitals after fire at Chicago apartments

CHICAGO (AP) - Authorities say nine people including a Chicago firefighter were taken to hospitals for treatment following a fire at a 21-story apartment building.

The fire was put out early Wednesday in the city's Englewood neighborhood. The Chicago Fire Department says the injured residents were in serious but stable condition. The department says the firefighter reported having difficulty breathing.

Dorthella Bowens tells WLS-TV that "even though I had the towel over my face, the smoke was too much" as she got out of the building.

The fire reportedly started in an apartment on the building's 13th floor. Residents on other floors were later allowed back in the building. The Chicago Sun-Times reports about 30 residents were displaced. The cause of the fire is under investigation.