CHICAGO - Three people were hurt Monday morning after a fire erupted in an encampment under the Kennedy Expressway at Belmont Avenue.
Authorities responded about 10 a.m. to calls of a rubbish fire under the overpass and found a burning mattress and articles of clothing, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.
The fire was quickly extinguished and three people exposed to the fire refused treatment, Langford said.
A CFD investigation found that an open flame started the fire, Langford said. There’s no indication something was thrown, or that an accelerant was used.
Smoke could me seen shooting up onto the expressway in traffic camera video frames posted online by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Illinois State Police, who are also investigating the fire, did not immediately have a comment.