Infant in critical condition, 6 others hospitalized after high-rise fire in South Shore

Seven people, including five children, were hospitalized after a fire broke out at a high-rise building Wednesday afternoon in South Shore.

Firefighters responded just before 4 p.m. to a fire on the second floor of a building in the 7100 block of South Jeffery Boulevard, the Chicago Fire Department said.

An infant was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, and four other children were transported to Comer Children’s Hospital in good and fair conditions, officials said.

One person jumped from a fourth-floor window and was hospitalized in fair condition, officials said. A seventh person was taken to Trinity Hospital in good condition.

Some people evacuated the 14-story building — several rescued from windows — while others were told to shelter in place, officials said.

The fire was put out just after 5 p.m. A preliminary investigation indicates it started in a kitchen of a second-floor unit, the fire department said.

No other information was available.