Arlington Heights firefighters rescue 3 people from burning downtown building

Arlington Heights firefighters rescued a man by ladder and helped escort two others out of a burning building overnight in the village's downtown.

The fire was reported at 11:21 p.m. Wednesday in a three-story multiuse building at 16 E. Northwest Highway. It started in the kitchen of a second-floor corner apartment facing the main street, according to Fire Chief Andrew Larson.

Larson said working smoke detectors alerted residents to the fire, and firefighters were dispatched after someone called 911.

When firefighters arrived, some of the residents of the 10 or so apartments in the brick building's upper two floors already were outside. But one man on the top floor - coughing because of smoke inhalation - had to be rescued from his streetside window by firefighters who raised a ladder to get him.

Firefighters helped walk two other residents out of the building during an initial search. Both were conscious and talking, but one was taken to Northwest Community Hospital with injuries deemed not to be life-threatening, Larson said.

Firefighters saw smoke and flames upon arrival to the building, which is across the street from the downtown Arlington Heights train station, but were able to extinguish the fire within minutes, Larson said.

While investigators know where the fire started, they don't yet know how. Larson said the resident of the apartment where the fire began was home at the time.

Fire department officials early Thursday morning deemed the structure uninhabitable, but residents should be able to return soon after basic cleanup and repairs, Larson said.

He said the fire was contained to the apartment where it started on the second floor, while the third floor sustained light smoke damage. Two streetside businesses are on the first floor - a State Farm insurance agency and a video production company.