Police: Man in critical condition after setting himself on fire downtown

A man was in critical condition Monday night after setting himself on fire downtown, Chicago Police said.

Authorities responded to the corner of Franklin and Van Buren at 9:15 p.m. and found a person on fire, Chicago Fire Department Cmdr. Frank Velez said.

Police News Affairs Officer Ron Gaines said he was an adult male, but his age was not known. He added that the man set himself on fire.

Matt Schmitz, who lives in a nearby high-rise, said he heard a man screaming wildly outside.

“I went to the balcony and saw a man in the middle of the street, standing still and engulfed in flames,” he said.

“He stood there for what seemed like a minute or more, silently, until eventually falling over. . . . Bystanders attempted to throw water on him,” Schmitz said.

“Multiple emergency vehicles quickly arrived on scene and took him in the ambulance,” he said.