‘I would have been in flames’: Man describes narrow escape from Grand Crossing fire

CHICAGO – After narrowly escaping a fire that spread to his home, Larry Newson is feeling grateful to be alive.

The Chicago Fire Department responded to the 6600 block of South Hartwell Avenue around 7:30 a.m. Saturday. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy fire that spread from the vacant home where it is believed to have started, to two adjacent homes.

Newson said he had no idea anything was going on until he heard the voices of firefighters attempting to get inside.

“The flames went right to where I was sleeping. I’m a hard sleeper and I don’t know how I woke up,” said Newson. “Once I started seeing the flames, I just went into panic, because I wasn’t sure if I was going to die, if my pathway to getting downstairs was cut off.”

Newson said everything happened quickly, with heavy fire immediately coming into the room where he was sleeping. Left behind now, is a giant hole in the wall he laid his head next to just hours before.

“A minute later and I would have been in flames,” said Newson.

As everything unfolded, Newson’s other neighbor, Patricia said she woke up to a burning smell.

“Next thing you know, I hear somebody out front saying, get out, get out. I started banging on my kids’ doors,” said Patricia. “If it wasn’t for the neighbors, I don’t know what would have happened.”

As Patricia captured the initial moments on video after her family ran outside, she said she feared she was going to lose her home, too.

“We got really lucky,” said Patricia. “Some people don’t have nowhere to lay their head, luckily I do.”

Patricia, along with other neighbors, expressed their frustration with failure to take action on properties that have been vacant for years, including the home where the fire started, and another next to it.

Each of the buildings have reportedly experienced more than one fire in recent years, multiple sources said.

“They should tear them down. They’re not tearing them down like they’re supposed to,” Patricia said.

According to Cook County court records, a judge signed off on an order of demolition on September 26, 2017, after the building where the fire started was deemed “dangerous, unsafe, and beyond reasonable repair.”

The court filing laid out 18 major issues with the building, including fire damage to the building’s roof and rafters, dangerous and hazardous floors that had been damaged by smoke and water, or had holes in them. It also said there had been no work done on the home since the beginning of the case.

According to the ruling, the city was granted authorization immediately to demolish the building, but nearly seven years later, it took a fire to bring it down.

“It just became a nuisance to us, to the neighbors, but the fact that we never thought this house would actually destroy two homes,” said Newson. “The whole side of my house is gone, so I don’t think there’s any fixing it.”

For him, this loss is more than just the roof over his head, he said.

“My mom passed during COVID so there’s a lot of memories in that house for her,” said Newson. “It was my job. I was trying to keep it together, get it back to the way she wanted it.”

Newson said he is working with the American Red Cross to try and get some assistance after the fire. He is not sure what comes, but said he plans to take it one step at a time.

CFD said no injuries were reported and firefighters were able to limit exposure to more homes by quickly attacking the fire.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. At least one person, according to sources, was spotted running from the area after the fire started.

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