3 people sue Nicor and building management after explosion and fire at Des Plaines condo building

Three lawsuits have been filed after an explosion and fire last week at a Des Plaines condo building.

Fifteen people were hurt, three of them critically, in the explosion and fire at a three-story condo building at 1279 Harding Av. on May 6.

The lawsuits filed on Tuesday accuse Nicor Gas and the building's management company of failing to properly respond after residents reported smelling natural gas hours before the explosion.

The lawsuits claim a Nicor worker came out to investigate but failed to identify the source of the leak, and didn't take any steps to fix it before leaving.

"Families are forever devastated by this explosion that appeared to rock the neighborhood," attorney Bradley Cosgrove said in a statement. "We are filing these lawsuits to ensure that all of the necessary evidence is preserved so that we can get to the bottom of what occurred here. These kinds of tragedies should never happen."

In a statement, a Nicor spokesperson claimed the explosion "was not caused by Nicor Gas facilities."

"The safety of our customers, employees and the communities we serve is our highest priority, and our thoughts are with the families impacted by this event. We have assisted local and state authorities in their investigation and have determined this event was not caused by Nicor Gas facilities," Nicor spokesperson Jennifer Golz said.

The Illinois State Fire Marshal said their investigation of the cause of the explosion remained open on Wednesday, adding, "we don't have anything new to share at this time."

Officials said a total of 15 people were injured in the fire. Eight people were taken to hospitals, three of them in critical condition, and seven were treated at the scene but declined to go to the hospital. 

The building was deemed uninhabitable after the explosion, leaving all tenants displaced.

The building's management company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.