OAK PARK (WWJ) - Neighbors who happened to see a raging house fire in Oak Park sprang into action and saved three occupants from the flames early Wednesday morning.
WWJ's Charlie Langton reported live from the scene in the 22000 block of Sloman Street, near Nine Mile and Coolidge in Oak Park where the charred out husk of a home could be seen hours after it erupted into flames.
"Authorities are saying that the fire started around 1:20 early this morning," Langton said. "Two neighbors across the street, they apparently were up. They saw the fire, ran across the street, called 911 and then tried to get the three people out."
Neighbor Albert Wilson Jr. told Langton that he and his brother, John, tried to wake up the residents inside the burning home, but they had to resort to other means when no one answered the door.
"I tried to wake them up -- they didn't get up. I knew they were sleep, they wouldn't respond," Wilson said. "So I grabbed sticks from in front of our house and busted out a window. [My brother] came right behind me with the chair, busting out the window and hitting on the window and we [were] knocking out windows trying to get them [awake]."
Wilson said the trio, who he described as Arab with limited English, eventually answered the door and realized they were in danger.
Langton said the three people escaped serious injury. John sustained a deep cut in his hand during the rescue but is expected to be OK.
Firefighters from the surrounding community responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze, the cause of which remains unknown and under investigation at this time.
"Authorities are still on the scene now trying to figure out exactly what caused this fire that totally destroyed the one-story home here," Langton added.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest details as they become available. >>> LISTEN LIVE!
