Four firefighters were injured when a stairwell collapsed inside a burning Norwood Park home Thursday night on the Northwest Side.

 

The fire started about 8:15 p.m. in an unoccupied two-story home under rehab in the 5700 block of North Newark Avenue, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said.

 

About seven minutes later, four firefighters were climbing a stairwell to the second floor that collapsed, Langford said. The four fell into the basement and were pulled out moments later.

 

Firefighters were able to pull all four from the basement and paramedics took them to Resurrection Medical Center in good condition with non-life-threatening injuries, Langford said.

 

Fire commissioner Jose Santiago said the firefighters mostly suffered ankle and back injuries. Some of the firefighters hit their heads and knocked their helmets off.

 

The two-alarm fire gutted the home and was extinguished about 8:50 p.m.

 

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