At 11:30 a.m. on Aug 20, 2026, four Chicago firefighters were injured while battling a fire in a vacant house in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, three of the injuries classified as serious.
The incident occurred on the 5400 block south of Justine Street, a two‑unit wooden building that had been unoccupied at the time the blaze erupted.
According to the Chicago Fire Department, the fire originated on the second floor of the structure, prompting the department’s immediate response.
Firefighters arrived on scene shortly after the alarm and began interior operations to suppress the flames and assess the condition of the building.
During those interior attacks, four members of the department sustained injuries; three of those injuries were reported as serious, while the fourth was less severe.
The injured personnel were removed from the scene for medical evaluation and treatment in accordance with department protocol. Medical personnel on scene provided initial care before transport.
The fire, which originated on the second floor of the vacant wooden structure, spread rapidly through the interior of the two‑unit building. The department’s initial report noted the absence of occupants, and the alarm was transmitted to dispatch at 11:30 a.m.
The fire was fully extinguished after the crew completed interior and exterior suppression efforts, and investigators later confirmed that the vacant status of the property contributed to the rapid spread of the fire on the wooden structure.
No civilians were reported injured, and the incident did not result in any additional property damage beyond the affected vacant house.