The Chicago Fire Department battled a fire on South Kimbark Avenue Thursday morning, halting filming at the nearby set of "Chicago Med." [DNAinfo/Sam Cholke]
CHICAGO — An off-duty firefighter working on the set of a spinoff of NBC's "Chicago Fire" discovered a real-life fire at a house nearby Thursday morning, fire officials said.
The potential for confusion led the real Chicago Fire Department to tweet out a warning about the fire in the 4800 block of South Kimbark Avenue in Kenwood.
2 11. 4825 kimbark. TV show is filming but this is real fire on same block not part of show!
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) October 1, 2015
A few doors down, "Chicago Med," a show spinned off from "Chicago Fire" and "Chicago P.D." had been filming.
Chicago med shooting at 4821. Fire at 4825. Two story single family home heavy fire
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) October 1, 2015
Firefighter Michael Agostinelli was working on safety on the set of "Chicago Med" when he said he smelled smoke and saw a haze in the air.
"I knew it wasn't part of the scene when I smelled the smoke," said Agostinelli, who normally works at Fire Department Tower 14 on the West Side.
He said he went in through the front door of the house looking for anyone who might be trapped and called 911 after finding no one inside.
"I just went to work," Agostinelli said. "It's a shame that place is destroyed now."
Fire Department District 1 Chief Timothy Sampey said it was still unclear what started the fire at 10 a.m., but no one was injured.
The coincidence of the film crew near by didn't escape firefighters.
"All they had to do was look to their right and see the real firefighters at work," Sampey said.
Film crew members near the scene said the shoot didn't include any instances of simulated fire, so there was no confusion during filming.
The fire certainly slowed down production of the spin-off of "Chicago Fire" and "Chicago PD," but didn't halt filming.
Crew said the house at 4819 S. Kimbark Ave. where they were filming was quiet enough on the inside that they could keep rehearsing and filming.
The fire started after film crews were already set up. Firefighters had to weave hoses between the film crews' trucks, but there were no worries about fire trucks and film trucks fighting to move in or out at the same time.
The fire appeared to start on the second floor of the home. Neighbors said construction was being done on the house. The owner had moved in earlier in the week, neighbors said.
4825 kimbark pic.twitter.com/R7hUxxgm6T
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) October 1, 2015
Firefighter Mike Agostinelli spotted the real fire while doing safety work during his day off on the set of "Chicago Med."
No one was injured in a house fire on South Kimbark Avenue Thursday a few doors down from the set of "Chicago Med."
Firefighters had to work between film crews' trucks on Kimbark to battle a real blaze on the same block that "Chicago Med" was filming Thursday.
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