CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Chicago Fire Department says the death of a 64-year-old man in an apartment in the Lawndale neighborhood is an unfortunate example of the importance of having a working smoke detector.
There was no working smoke detector in the brick 2-flat on Homan Avenue near Ogden Avenue, CFD said. Firefighters arrived at about 1:30 a.m. to find heavy fire coming from the downstairs apartment.
Four residents got out safely. One tried to save the man who died. So did firefighters, but it was too late.
The fire department returned to the scene Saturday to make sure it doesn't happen again to others.
Deputy District Fire Chief Walter Schroeder was at the scene with firefighters, going door-to-door, handing out smoke detectors to neighbors.
"We have to be sure that we have working smoke detectors as well as carbon monoxide detectors with the weather changing the way it is now," Schroeder said.
"We've found that statistically most of these neighbors, since there was no working smoke detector here, they're going to find that their neighbors won't have working smoke detectors, so that is critically important," he said. "That will give you those minutes to get out or seconds."
Officials said the man who died in this fire was trapped in the downstairs apartment.
Steven Lares, who lives in the damaged apartment upstairs, said his brother, who lived downstairs with the victim, tried to save him.
"My brother had him half-way out but the flames kept coming and he had to let him go," Lares said, as a board-up crew was securing the building.
Lares said he believes the man who died was drinking and he thinks he was probably smoking in bed.
The fire department said that's under investigation but Schroeder said there's nothing to indicate the fire was intentionally set.
