CHICAGO (AP) — An 8-year-old Chicago girl whose mother was at work somehow managed to toss a mattress from her family's third-story window during a fire and then jump onto it to safety, a fire official said Thursday.

Firefighters who arrived at the burning apartment on the city's South Side just before midnight Wednesday found the girl safe outside. They were able to rescue two younger children who were inside, including the girl's 5-year-old brother, who was at the window poised to follow his sister, and a 2-year old boy, the fire department said.

District Chief Frank Velez told the Chicago T...