Fire Officials: No Working Smoke Detectors In Chatham Home Where Man Died In Fire
(CBS) -- Chicago Firefighters this morning returned to the scene of a fire that killed a 55-year-old man on the South Side Friday night, reports WBBM's Mike Krauser.
When Chicago Fire Lieutenant Tony Trinidad arrived, there was heavy smoke and fire on the second floor of the two story brick home on the 300 block of East 88th Place. They had to break down the front door.
"I did a quick search on the first floor, came back as they were going upstairs but the fire was intense because it was coming down on us," Trinidad said. "As we were going upstairs, we were able to find a victim."
Battalion Chief Mike Altman says there were no working smoke detectors.
"If he had a working smoke detector, if he was sleeping or something like that, sleeping people and stuff like that, that would wake them up and they would be able to get out of the house," he said.
The victim was identified as 55-year-old Novell Norris.
Firefighters gave neighbors on the block new smoke detectors Saturday morning.