Firefighter injured in extra-alarm house fire in Harvey

A firefighter was injured in a three-alarm fire early Tuesday at a home in south suburban Harvey.

Fire crews responded about 2:30 a.m. to the fire at a home in the 16400 block of Emerald Avenue and noticed the nearest hydrant was frozen, according to the Harvey Fire Department and Sean Howard, spokesman for the city of Howard.

A firefighter slipped and injured his back while attempting to tap the frozen hydrant, authorities said. He was taken in good condition to Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey.

No other injuries were reported, authorities said.

Firefighters ultimately used water from their trucks to battle the blaze until they were able to tap into an unfrozen hydrant at the nearby intersection of 165th and Halsted streets, Howard said.

As a result of the sub-zero temperatures, a third alarm was called to ensure there was enough manpower to rotate firefighters every 20 minutes, Howard said.

As of 6:40 a.m., the fire was almost completely struck out, Howard said. The fire did not spread to neighboring properties.

The homeowners were on vacation at the time of the fire, and no one was inside the home, Howard said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known, Howard said.