Officials: Deadly Chicago high-rise fire was accidental
Chicago authorities say a deadly fire in a high-rise apartment building was caused by someone smoking in a bedroom
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Chicago authorities said Thursday that a deadly fire in a high-rise apartment building was caused by someone smoking in a bedroom.
In a brief statement, the Chicago Fire Department called the fire accidental and said investigators traced the cause to “careless use of smoking materials." Investigators also found that a smoke detector in the unit where the blaze broke out was not working.
Wednesday's fire in the Kenwood neighborhood on Chicago's South Side killed one person and sent eight more to the hospital. Authorities have not released any information yet on the person who died.
Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt said Wednesday that fire detectors inside the building's apartments were battery-operated while those in the hallways were hard-wired.
More than 300 fire and Emergency Medical Service workers responded to the blaze, which began on the 15th floor and traveled up to the 24th level as crews worked to contain it.