More than 100 Chicago firefighters battled an extra-alarm fire Saturday in Lakeview that consumed two apartment buildings and sent residents scrambling for safety.



Two firefighters were taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center with minor injuries, but no other injuries were reported. As of Saturday evening, Fire Department officials were still investigating the 90-minute fire that began just before 1:45 p.m and sent black smoke across the North Side.



The fire apparently started near a wooden stairwell behind a three-story building on the 800 block of West Cornelia Avenue. The flames soon crept up the stairwell, setting ablaze apartments from the bottom up and sending dozens of nearby residents to the street.



Jordan Amandes, a 21-year-old Columbia College student, was napping in his apartment when he was awakened, first by his door buzzer, then from banging on his first-floor window.



"I looked outside and saw flames coming out of the window across the way," Amandes said.



By about 3 p.m., the fire had spread to an adjoining building, fire spokesman Quention Curtis said.



After it was extinguished, dozens of people stood on the corner of Cornelia and Fremont Street for hours, many on cellphones, several crying and becoming impatient as they waited to learn whether it was safe to return home.



"I don't know how bad the damage is but I'm afraid to find out," said Jourdi Waller, 20, who realized her building was ablaze when she saw flames shooting up the fire escape.



Earlier Saturday, another fire on the South Side caused three firefighters to be hospitalized for heat exhaustion.



sedaniels@tribune.com