Sadface

[bgregs]

Originally Posted by Chicago Sun-Times

Baby among seven people killed in Cicero house fire

February 14, 2010
SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE

Seven people, ranging in age from 20 years to 3 days old, are dead following a Sunday morning extra-alarm fire that raged through a multi-family Cicero residence that may have housed more than 25 people.
» Click to enlarge image
Seven people died after a house fire raged through a multi-family Cicero residence early Sunday morning. This photo of the blaze was taken a little after 6:30 a.m. by a neighbor who witnessed the fire.

Two adults are dead and several people are missing following a Sunday morning fire that raged through a Cicero residence, which may have housed anywhere from 20 to 40 people.

Victims included a 20 year-old male, two females aged 19 and 18, 16-year-old male and female twins, a 3-year-old child and a 3-day-old infant, according to Cicero spokesman Ray Hanania.
A spokesperson for the Cook County Medical Examiner's office said they had been notified of seven deaths from the fire as of 3:30 p.m.

Twenty-four people who lived at the residence are being cared for Sunday afternoon by the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, organization spokesperson Kristin Claes said.

Earlier reports had confirmed that four people died from the fire, but the confirmation of three additional deaths accounts for people previously reported missing following the blaze, Hanania said.

A cause for the deadly fire remains undetermined Sunday afternoon, although “we have no evidence to suggest arson,” Hanania said. City officials will be looking into the “circumstances of the building” later this week, he said.

“We’re looking into why this fire took place and what may have resulted in such a tragic loss of so many people in one building,” Hanania said.

The fire started around 6:30 a.m. in a three-floor, three-flat building in the 3000 block of South 48th Court in west suburban Cicero and also damaged a house on an adjacent lot, Hanania said.

Crews first responded when a girl living at the residence with her mother and siblings called to say there was a fire, Hanania said.

“By the time they got there, the fire just raged through the building,” he said.

A firefighter, one of 60 from six fire departments who responded to the 2-11 extra-alarm blaze, suffered unknown injuries because of the fire, said Hanania, who didn’t have further details on the firefighter’s condition.

Emergency officials still don’t know how many people live at the residence, Hanania said.

“There may have been four or five families in there, we don’t know,” Hanania said. “I’ve heard numbers between 20 and 40 people,” which he has yet to be confirm, he said.

Hanania said that questions about possible over-occupancy at the residence was a topic he is “definitely going to look at this week,” in the wake of the deadly blaze.

The fire was mostly extinguished as of 10:50 a.m., but crews are searching for clues as to the cause of the fire, Hanania said.

Residents were taken to a shelter at the town’s public safety office, which is providing food and emergency care, he said.

The Red Cross provided the people with food, clothing, warm winter coats, shoes and shelter, and infant supplies, according to a Red Cross spokeswoman.

My daughter's girlfriend's half sister is one of the seven.... Needless to say, the bgregs household is in mourning. Please pray for our family.

[JohnDoe5150]

Sorry to hear such horrible news

[Hamish++]

Sorry.

[Lt. Dan]

Horrible...

That is just horrible Bgregs.

[jermoore]

In other news, a man in Flint, MI escaped his burning apartment, but four children did not. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...children_N.htm

Sorry to hear about your daughter's girlfriend's family's loss. If it had been your daughter or her girlfriend, I'd be more sympathetic... as-is, I rate both these disasters at the same level, and am just sad that any lives were lost... especially ones so young.

[randy1985]

Terrible

[i_went_poopie]

that's awful

[bgregs]

Originally Posted by jermoore

In other news, a man in Flint, MI escaped his burning apartment, but four children did not. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...children_N.htm

Sorry to hear about your daughter's girlfriend's family's loss. If it had been your daughter or her girlfriend, I'd be more sympathetic... as-is, I rate both these disasters at the same level, and am just sad that any lives were lost... especially ones so young.

Don't feel bad at treating them the same. I do too. I never met her. I DO feel bad for my daughter and her girlfriend more than I do for the people in the Flint case, because I know them, but I'm a step (or three) removed from it myself...