A Berwyn resident is expressing thankfulness for the police officer who immediately took action and saved her life when a large fire broke out on Saturday and spread to several homes.
Ring doorbell video captured smoke billowing from a house in the 2200 block of Harvey Avenue at around 5:45 p.m. as police rushed to the scene to make sure everyone made it out safely.
"I was in my kitchen, started washing some of the vegetables... and I heard a lot of banging on my neighbor to the south's door, back door, and I thought what’s going on," said one resident, Rose Ann Skirha.
Skirha, who lives in one of the homes that was destroyed in the fire, was brought to safety by one of the responding officers.
"He said your house is on fire, we got to get you out of here," she recounted. "I said I can walk, he said, no, he picked me up and carried me down the stairs."
The 85-year-old moved into the neighborhood 60 years ago, and when the fire erupted, lost everything in a matter of minutes.
"Your card, your driver’s license and everything like that," she said.
Local
The flames first broke out at one residence and quickly spread to four other homes on the block. Of them, two were destroyed.
Jerry Marzullo, battalion chief with the Berwyn Fire Department, said such a significant amount of fire is unusual during the daytime hours.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly> Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
"At nighttime, two to three in the morning, people sleeping etcetera., you'll see it... you know... but in the middle of the day like this, you could, again, about four, five blocks from here as I was coming in, we actually elevated the alarm, you could see ahead, there was a massive amount of smoke," Marzullo said.
As of 7:45 p.m., firefighters remained on scene, extinguishing hotspots.
A possible cause remains under investigation. The American Red Cross responded to the scene to assist an unknown number of people who were displaced.
Despite losing her possessions, Skirha says she's going to be okay.
"I'm very grateful, you know, I’m just thinking today is my birthday, like I say, everything is gone, I have to start...its like being born again you know," she said.
