Chicago, Illinois High-Rise Building Where Fire Killed 1 Person and Injured 12 Lacked Sprinklers in Units
Thursday’s fire at the high-rise Plaza on DeWitt claimed the life of 1 person and injured 12. Killed in the fire was 84-year-old Beeta Bihl, whose severely burned body was found close to the front of her residence. Among the 12 who were injured, seven were residents and five were firefighters.
Chicago fire officials think that an old toaster in Bihl’s unit may have started the blaze. However, one resident is blaming the tragic incident on the fact that the 44-story building does not have sprinklers in the residential units. The Plaza on DeWitt does have sprinklers in the pump room, parking garage, and trash compactor areas.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Maureen Marley has spent the last eight years trying to get the City Council and her condo board to install the safety devices. She says they have ignored her concerns.
The city of Chicago requires that all high-rises constructed after 1975 have sprinkler systems. Bihl and Marley’s Gold Coast building was built in the 1960’s.
This is not the first fire-related fatality at 260 E. Chestnut Street. Another resident died in 2002 when a fire broke out in her unit. 11 people, 8 of them firefighters, were injured.
Chicago Premises Liability
Property owners and/or management can be held liable for Chicago premises liability if an unsafe condition on a premise that could have or should have been remedied causes injury or death. Slip and fall accidents, dog attacks, inadequate security, safety hazards, falling objects, improperly secured pools and hot tubs, and windows that a person can easily fall out off, are some examples of the many reasons why an injury victim and/or his/her family may choose to pursue an Illinois premises liability or wrongful death claim.
High-rise fire: Resident angry that residential units lacked sprinklers, Chicago Tribune, December 13, 2009
Fatal High-Rise Fire on Chestnut in Chicago Kills Beeta Bihl, Injures 12, Arlington Cardinal, December 10, 2009
Related Web Resources:
Plaza on DeWitt
Department of Buildings, Chicago
