CHICAGO (WLS) -- One person died in an extra-alarm fire that climbed through multiple floors of a South Side high-rise Wednesday.
The fire spread to several floors of the 25-story Harper Square Co-Operative building in the 4800-block of South Lake Park Avenue, CFD spokesman Larry Langford said.
Langford said one person was found dead on the 15th floor.
CFD Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt said a resident on the 15th floor noticed smoke at about 10:08 a.m. and called 911. Video from scene showed the fire climbing up the building in a column, perhaps reaching as many as nine floors.
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More VideosThe fire was struck out around 12:30 p.m. Nance-Holt said about 300 personnel responded to the scene.
This was a challenging blaze for first responders, not just because of the high-rise building, but because the elevators went out early so equipment and personnel had to get to the upper floors on foot.
Strong winds from the snow storm also contributed to the fire's fast spread as responders tried to prioritize who had to be evacuated immediately and who could safely stay where they were.
"What we encountered here was, because the fire went from the 15th all the way to the 14th floor was the fact that the wind was pushing," Nance-Holt said. "The fire went up vertically and it lapped from floor to floor to floor, all the way up to 24 where my firefighters gained control of it."
Hundreds of firefighters, paramedics and first responders worked to ensure people were safe.
"We got a list of people who were maybe physically challenged. We got to those units first. We prioritized those guys and then made announcements as we evaluated conditions," Deputy Commissioner Mark Furman said.
CFD said a 70-year-old woman was transported to a hospital in critical condition. Nance-Holt said eight residents were hospitalized. One firefighter who suffered an orthopedic injury was also taken to a hospital.
A woman in her 80s, who lived on the floor where the fire broke out, died. She has not been identified yet, but those who knew and loved her said she was a retired school teacher.
WATCH: CFD officials provide update on deadly high-rise fire
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More VideosA close friend got the devastating news as she looked on praying for the best.
"I grew up here in the building and I always viewed her as an aunt," said the victim's friend Jauntanne Mayes. "I came back to check on to see how she was doing, if she was Ok because I had been trying to call and call and nobody had been able to reach her."
News of the fatality is being felt by residents and neighbors.
"It's heartbreaking. I've lived here for years," said former resident Kamisha Hudson.
"I'm sad for the family who had the loss and really appreciate what these guys do because it could have been a lot worse," said Theresa Riley, a friend of a resident.
"Just a really sweet, sweet person. Really generous. She will be missed by a lot of people," Mayes said.
Some residents told to shelter in place while others were evacuated
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More VideosSome residents who were able to get out safely self-evacuated the building. Many more were asked to shelter in place.
Residents said their fight or flight reactions kicked in when the fire started.
"I looked out my window and saw the flames. They were right up under me," said Margo King.
King said she smelled the smoke, went to her window and saw flames bursting from a floor below her. She ran.
"I opened it and stuck my head out. The flame was coming out so bad. It scared me so bad," King said. "My eyes started burning, my throat got sore. That's why I put my mask on in the house. Crazy."
Hours later, she returned to see the extent of the damage and found her unit destroyed.
Bankole Oluyinka was at home with her daughter when the fire broke out. She said she was told by building officials to stay inside her unit.
"I don't know why they asked us to stay inside. My daughter kept calling them, what do we do?" Oluyinka said.
"My mom, she can't take the stairs, but she was told the same thing," said fellow resident, David Walker.
Fearing for their lives, they decided to run down 23 flights of stairs.
"The smoke was everywhere, I was shaken up, not until I saw the fire I had to run out," Oluyinka said.
Leanne Faine said a neighbor knocked on her door to tell her and her husband about the fire.
"We ran down the stairs -- we are on the 8th floor -- they told us it was 15 and up, so we didn't know what to do. We ran down to the garage and got our car," Faine said. "He just had a pacemaker put in. We were afraid because he can't go down the steps like we can. He's got to ease down the steps. I was so frayed, I said, 'Come on baby, come on, we can't get burned up in here, let's go, come on!'"
Phyllis Powell was at work nearby when her husband's caregiver alerted her. They made it out of their unit but got stuck on the 7th floor.
"We tried to leave and fireman said we had to stay in place because we were three floors down from our place. We just had to stay. Couldn't go down or couldn't go up," Powell said.
Another resident said a worker in the building told her about the fire.
"I asked, 'Are we evacuating?' And he said no and he stayed calm, so I stayed calm. I didn't realize the severity of it until I saw on the news," said resident Astrid Exorthe.
She and others did evacuate on their own, mainly due to the smoke and water damage. However, fire officials said self-evacuating can put people in danger.
"The protocol that we use with the Chicago Fire Department when dealing with a high-rise building, some units would be best for shelter in place and others evacuate," Langford said. "What we generally do is evacuate the floor above and below the fire, depending upon the size of the building and the footprint of the building. A building like this, if you are some distance away and floors down and above, the fire is not spreading laterally, it is spreading vertically, so you are safe in some of the units."
"High-rise building is fire resistance construction -- is built with fire separations built in. The doors are fire rated doors to the apartment units. The stairways are enclosed, the hallways -- it's set up so you can remain in your unit and still be safe," Furman explained.
Regardless, many people with loved ones in the building went into panic mode as the flames grew.
"I cried because I knew that was her building," said Latina Brown, whose mom lives in the building."
Brown said, at first, she couldn't reach her mother, who lives on the 15th floor. However, she later learned her mother was at work.
"I was just a concerned daughter. I just wanted to make sure my mom was safe and she is Ok," Brown said.
"I decided to come downstairs to check everything out," one building resident said. "I noticed people looking up at the building and then I just went downstairs and I saw that the fire was blazing at that time. I called my mom because my aunt is still in the building. Right now she is safe in someone else's unit.
"A lot of people live here. A lot of people have been living here for 30 and 40 years so this is certainly devastating to me and them and their families," State Representative Lamont Robinson said. "We want to thank the first responders for containing the fire."
Looking up at the damage to their unit, Oluyinka said she is thankful that she and her daughter made it out safely.
"I am alive. My daughter is alive. That's enough for me. Even though I lost everything, I am alive. That's the most important thing," she said.
Building inspection violations
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More VideosThe I-Team reports that the building has failed its seven last inspections by the Department of Buildings (DOB), including one on December 1, 2022, for not testing the fire alarm and evacuation system.
"The Department of Buildings (DOB) takes public safety and quality of life issues very seriously. Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of the resident who passed away, the residents and firefighter that sustained injuries, and all those impacted by today's tragic fire," DOB said in part in a statement.
DOB also said during an inspection on November 7, 2022, violations for the interior door tags, exterior masonry and for failing to file the required high-rise exterior wall report were noted. The DOB also referred the violations to the Department of Law, which filed an enforcement action in the Circuit Court of Cook County, officials said. The court case is scheduled to be hears on Feburary 2.
"DOB inspectors were on the scene of today's tragic fire and will work closely with the Chicago Fire Department in its investigation and assessment of the damage," DOB added.
The apartment building, which was built in 1970, has 298 apartments in it, with about 267 units occupied, officials said.
Sources also tell ABC7 that individual units in this building do not have sprinklers.
The head of the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board pointed out that after the deadly 2003 fire at the Cook County Administration Building, the city passed an ordinance requiring all residential high rises to pass what's called a "life safety evaluation."
RELATED: Advisory board urges Chicago to reevaluate fire safety ordinance, require fire sprinklers
The ordinance does not require sprinklers as long as buildings put in passive measures, such as self-closing doors to contain a fire.
"In this fire, the fire did have an opportunity to escape so it did effect other units, so we can see a building that has passed the life safety evaluation still does not get the job done," said Erik Hoffer, the director of the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board.
Hoffer is urging the city of Chicago to re-evaluate its fire safety ordinance.
It is unknown how many residents have been displaced by the fire.
The Salvation Army said they will be providing dinner for the residents and first responders. They are cooking 500 chicken sandwiches at the Elk Grove Village EDS kitchen and will have them delivered to the scene.
"While the situation is still evolving, many residents at this time are telling us that they have a place to stay. Our volunteers will help impacted residents with casework, health services and disaster mental health support, and shelter if residents indicate there is a need," the Red Cross said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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FAQs
Why was the Great Chicago fire of 1871 so severe? ›
City officials never determined the cause of the blaze, but the rapid spread of the fire due to a long drought in that year's summer, strong winds from the southwest, and the rapid destruction of the water pumping system, explain the extensive damage of the mainly wooden city structures.
How many firefighters are in CFD? ›The Bureau of Operations is the CFD's largest bureau, with a personnel strength of more than 4,500 uniformed firefighters and paramedics, many of whom are “cross-trained” in the use of nearly 250 pieces of equipment and apparatus, including fire engines, fire trucks, ambulances, squads, helicopters and marine equipment ...
How many firehouses does Chicago have? ›...
Chicago Fire Department.
| Operational area | |
|---|---|
| Divisions | 5 Fire Districts |
| Battalions | 25 Battalions (24 Firefighting Battalions and 1 Special Operations Battalion) |
| Stations | 96 Stations |
The Great Chicago Fire started on the evening of Oct. 8, 1871. While there is little doubt that the fire started in a barn owned by Patrick and Catherine O'Leary, the exact cause of the fire remains a mystery.
What was the only building to survive the Great Chicago Fire? ›But the Water Tower wasn't the only building that survived. Old St. Patrick's Catholic Church, located on Adams Street just west of the Loop, also survived, and is Chicago's oldest church.
Do male and female firefighters sleep in the same room? ›Every firehouse now has separate locker rooms and bathrooms for women -- a requirement Bamattre mandated during his tenure. Some stations offer separate sleeping areas; in others, women share the dorm with men.
What is the highest position as a firefighter? ›The rank structure is as follows (in ascending order): Probationary Firefighter, Firefighter, Driver Engineer, Lieutenant, Captain, Battalion Chief, Assistant Chief, and Fire Chief. Promotions to all rank below assistant chief are conducted through state civil service testing process.
How much does a Chicago Fire chief make? ›How much does a Fire Chief make in Chicago, IL? The average Fire Chief salary in Chicago, IL is $94,160 as of December 27, 2022, but the salary range typically falls between $86,984 and $110,379.
What is the busiest firehouse in Chicago? ›Busiest firehouse in Chicago Engine 101 house 69 and Bell 17,500 runs 2014" / Twitter.
Do Chicago Fire investigators carry guns? ›The investigators working for the SFM office are sworn law enforcement officers, with powers to make arrests, conduct searches and seizures, serve summonses, and carry firearms.
What is the busiest fire station in the US? ›
Nashville Fire Station 9 responded to 35,958 calls in 2021, more than 7,000 more than the runner up.
Who was responsible for Shay's death on Chicago Fire? ›Despite their efforts, Shay ultimately dies. It is later found out that the fire which caused Shay's death was done by a serial arsonist who was stalking her, Trenton Lamont, who also set the fire that injured Wallace Boden and killed Ross Clayton McGowan and Henry Mills 20 years prior.
Did a cow cause the Chicago Fire? ›O'Leary's cow didn't burn down the city back in 1871. DOWNTOWN — Mrs. O'Leary was milking her cow when it kicked over a lantern, starting a fire that would overtake all of Chicago, 150 years ago.
What actually started the Chicago Fire? ›Legend holds that the blaze started when the family's cow knocked over a lighted lantern; however, Catherine O'Leary denied this charge, and the true cause of the fire has never been determined. What is known is that the fire quickly grew out of control and moved rapidly north and east toward the city center.
Do they burn real houses on Chicago Fire? ›Exterior fires are shot on location, but interior burns are always shot on a controlled stage, dubbed the “Burn Stage,” in a converted warehouse at Cinespace Chicago Film Studios. “It's impractical to put fire inside a real location,” the cinematographer notes, “so we save all of our interior fires for the Burn Stage.”
Is Chicago built on a swamp? ›In the middle of the 19th century, Chicago was not the shining, modern metropolis it is today. The city was only 4 feet above Lake Michigan at most, built on a swamp.
Why are some Chicago houses below street level? ›Some homes sit below street level in Chicago because nearby roads were actually raised in the late 1850s, according to Kathleen Carpenter of the Chicago Architecture Center. In the early days after its founding, much of Chicago was basically at the same level as Lake Michigan and the Chicago River.
Do female firefighters have to cut their hair? ›Hair: Hair is to be neatly groomed and clean. It shall be cut, styled and worn in a conservative manner. Hair may be in a bun, ponytail or braided. The bulk or length of the hair shall not interfere with the proper wearing of any department head gear or equipment.
What do female firefighters do when pregnant? ›No firefighter, while pregnant, shall be forced to take leave by the fire department if the firefighter's physician determines that the member is still able to work. While on maternity leave, the firefighter will retain active status.
What do you call a firefighters wife? ›A Fire Wife is the keeper at home while her Firefighter is training, practicing or actively saving the community. Not only is she married to a Firefighter, but she is also married into the Fire Service Community.
What is the longest shift a firefighters work? ›
Schedule Overview
Firefighters generally work in long shifts that include weekends and holidays. These shifts might differ from one city to another. The two most common types of shifts for firefighters are 24 hours on followed by 48 hours off, or 10- to 12-hour shifts for three to four days in a row.
How much does an Entry Level Firefighter make? As of Jan 20, 2023, the average annual pay for an Entry Level Firefighter in the United States is $47,944 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $23.05 an hour. This is the equivalent of $922/week or $3,995/month.
What state has the highest firefighter salary? ›| State | Employment (1) | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 5,960 | $ 84,930 |
| California | 27,730 | $ 80,990 |
| Washington | 7,740 | $ 76,280 |
| New York | 10,640 | $ 72,670 |
How much does a Fire Captain make in the United States? The average Fire Captain salary in the United States is $85,466 as of December 27, 2022, but the range typically falls between $78,952 and $100,187.
What is the starting salary for a Chicago Firefighter? ›Starting Salary (As of June 30, 2021):
$62,160/yr. After 5 years: $92,796/yr. Eligible for Holiday Pay, Duty Availability Pay, Specialty Pay, and Uniform Allowance.
Fire Battalion Chief Salary in Chicago, IL
How much does a Fire Battalion Chief make in Chicago, IL? The average Fire Battalion Chief salary in Chicago, IL is $90,200 as of December 27, 2022, but the range typically falls between $83,300 and $105,700.
Michigan Avenue
Above all, N. Michigan Avenue is known for the Magnificent Mile, a thirteen-block stretch of high-end retail outlets that has gained worldwide renown.
Allo does indeed wear a wig to play Wendy Seager. The actress has not specifically discussed her character's fashion during promos, but a quick glance at her social media proves that she has not grown her hair out, and is sporting the same short cut style she usually does when she's not on the set.
Can Fire investigators have beards? ›Uniformed personnel will be clean shaven; however, neatly trimmed sideburns and mustaches are permitted.
What are 3 things that fire investigators look for? ›
During the scene examination, investigators may find evidence such as accelerants, tampered utilities, and specific burn patterns, which may indicate criminal activity.
What is the number one thing that kills firefighters? ›Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death among firefighters.
What US city has the largest fire department? ›T he Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) is the largest Fire Department in the United States and universally is recognized as the world's busiest and most highly skilled emergency response agency.
What country has the best firefighters in the world? ›After a difficult few months working flat-out to assist people in the areas affected by earthquakes, extreme snowfall and a deadly avalanche, the Italian fire service finally has something to celebrate.
Why did the great fire last so long? ›Why did the fire of London last so long? There are many defining factors that led to the extensive spread and duration of the Great Fire. One was the hot, dry but also windy weather, causing fire to blow through the city. Another is the densely packed wooden houses that couldn't resist the flames.
How damaging was the Chicago Fire? ›After the Fire
It was eventually determined that the fire destroyed more than 70 miles of roads, 120 miles of sidewalk, 17,000 buildings, and caused close to $200 million in damage (the adjusted loss amount in 2008 dollars is upwards of $3.0 billion). Close to 100,000 citizens were left homeless.
But for all its fame and legend, the Chicago fire is not the biggest or worst fire in U.S. history. Not even close. That title goes to a city called Peshtigo in northern Wisconsin, just 250 miles from Chicago. The fire they're known for was described by survivors as a fire tornado.
What mistakes were made in the Great Chicago Fire? ›The horrid error was that Schaeffer gave Brown the wrong location, summoning a company a mile away instead of one that was only three blocks from the O'Leary barn. A few minutes later Schaeffer realized his mistake and directed Brown to sound the right box.
What is the oldest fire still burning? ›Fueled by coal seams
A coal seam-fueled eternal flame in Australia known as "Burning Mountain" is claimed to be the world's longest burning fire, at 6,000 years old. A coal mine fire in Centralia, Pennsylvania, has been burning beneath the borough since 1962.
1. 2003 Siberian Taiga Fires (Russia) – 55 Million Acres. In 2003 – during one of the hottest summers Europe experienced up to that point – a series of extremely devastating blazes in the taiga forests of Eastern Siberia destroyed over 55 million acres (22 million hectares) of land.
What did children wear in 1666? ›
Boys: A large plain shirt with a large collar and a belt or cord around the waist; a plain waistcoat, if you have one; and plain, dark, baggy trousers (such as track suit bottoms) tucked into long socks.
What is the most destructive fire in the US? ›| Rank | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The World Trade Center New York, NY | September 11, 2001 |
| 2 | S.S. Sultana steamship boiler explosion and fire Mississippi River | April 27, 1865 |
| 3 | Forest fire Peshtigo, WI, and envions | October 8, 1871 |
| 4 | General Slocum excursion steamship fire New York, NY | June 15, 1904 |
The fire burned wildly throughout the following day, finally coming under control on October 10, when rain gave a needed boost to firefighting efforts. The Great Chicago Fire left an estimated 300 people dead and 100,000 others homeless.
How far north did the Chicago Fire go? ›Over the next twenty-two hours the fire finished off the business district, lakefront harbor, and a large wedge of the North Side as far as Fullerton, by which time rain helped it burn itself out.
How many buildings survived the Great Chicago Fire? ›The Great Chicago Fire destroyed almost everything in its path. But at least four structures are known to have survived.
How long did it take to clean up the Great Chicago Fire? ›Most of the city was rebuilt as it was before within nearly two years, though some of the ruins – particularly burned remnants of train stations – lingered for several years. “The city did start to rebuild very quickly with the help of insurance money and East Coast money,” said Larson.
Why was Mrs O'Leary blamed for the Chicago Fire? ›The fire started in or near her home and her family's barn. And while it destroyed much of the city, it miraculously spared her own house. More importantly, O'Leary was easy to blame because of who she was and what she represented. “Irish immigrants were often considered as the dregs of American society in the 1870s.
What was the man Biggest Mistake in to build a fire? ›The three irrational mistakes that the man made to force him to death were unsuccessful fires, stepping into the ice/water trap, also the man went out against an old timer's…show more content…
How many people lost their lives in the Great Chicago Fire? ›An estimated 300 people died and 100,000 were left homeless by the three-day inferno that erased 2,100 acres of the city. The center of Chicago and the heart of the business district were wiped out. Yet, just 20 years after the fire, the city's population had grown from 300,000 to 1 million people.