CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Hours after Chicago firefighters extinguished a fire at the historic Swift Mansion in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood on Sunday morning, a second fire prompted crews to respond to the site again.
A Chicago Fire Department spokesman told WBBM that a CFD fire investigator was on scene at 4500 S. Michigan Ave. when the earlier fire rekindled. By 2:45 p.m., officials said the second fire had burned "through the roof."
Speaking to WBBM at 3:20 p.m., the spokesman added that firefighters were in defensive positions, which means they can't attack the fire from the inside of the building.
Firefighters responded to the location for the first time at about 11:30 a.m. after reports of a working fire. CFD said the fire later became a still and box fire. Although there were previous reports of a person injured in the fire and multiple people inside, the spokesman said firefighters found no one inside.
Officials said there were no injuries from either fire.
The building, which was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1978, was the original home to a prominent figure in Chicago's meat packing industry, Gustavus F. Swift. He gave it as a gift to his daughter for her wedding to Nelson Morris, the son of another executive in the industry.
The Swift Mansion has most recently served as home to the Inner City Youth and Adult Foundation.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
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