Tinley Park, IL (January 25, 2023) – The fatal fire at the 25-story Harper Square Cooperative building at 4850 S. Lake Park Ave in Chicago could have been prevented if the high-rise would have been fully protected with a fire sprinkler system in all living units according to the Northern Illinois Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NIFSAB).
The fire, which appears to have begun in a 15th floor unit, broke through windows, and then climbed vertically on the exterior of the building, affecting the 15th to 24th floors. One resident perished, 8 residents were transported to the hospital in stable condition, and 1 firefighter had minor injuries.
Records show that the building was constructed in 1970 before the 1975 City of Chicago Municipal Code requiring fire sprinkler systems. Following the deadly fire at the Cook County Administration building in 2003, high-rise building owners were encouraged to retrofit their buildings with fire sprinklers. This building is among hundreds of residential high-rises that chose to forgo the installation of fire sprinklers when complying with the city’s Life Safety Evaluation.
According to NIFSAB’s Executive Director Erik Hoffer, if a fire starts in a room with fire sprinklers, the sprinkler closest to the fire activates and immediately starts controlling the fire.
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