Child Dies In West Side Fire

By Anna Deem in News on Oct 10, 2009 6:00PM

Jayla Ray, a two-year-old of the 1100 block of San Francisco Avenue, died of smoke inhalation after a fire on Friday night in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side, officials reported to the Chicago Tribune.

Ray was in critical condition when she arrived at Mt. Sinai Hospital on Friday night, where she later died. A Fire Department spokesman first claimed the victim was 4 years old, but later a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner’s office confirmed that Ray was 2 years old and died from smoke inhalation.

Authorities received a call around 11:13 p.m. on Friday about a 2-story building on fire in the 2900 block of West Lexington Street, Chicago Fire Department Cmdr. Will Knight told the Tribune. The Fire Department was able to get the fire out by 11:30 p.m. Knight was not sure how the fire started, but the department plans to investigate the building.