Two firefighters killed, 17 injured in Chicago building collapse

[Hannah Bell]

At least two Chicago firefighters have died and another 17 were injured battling a massive fire in an abandoned building on the city’s South Side Wednesday morning. As fire crews searched for any people inside, the building caved in on them.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The building was formerly a laundromat owned by two brothers that went out of business six years ago. One of the brothers, Chuck Dai, explained that they had to stop paying taxes on the property and board it up.

Firefighters said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference that boards at the back of the building had been pulled loose, likely by homeless people in search of shelter from the bitter cold. In the past month, extreme winter conditions have claimed the lives of numerous homeless Chicagoans. (See “Spate of cold-related deaths in Chicago”)

According to Chicago Fire Commissioner Robert Hoff, the decision to enter the building was motivated by a fear that homeless people may have been inside... It is unknown as of this writing if the disaster claimed any other victims, but firefighters continued their search through the rubble even after their comrades were rescued.

Another fire broke out early Wednesday morning in an apartment house in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, also on the city’s South Side, and ended with one resident dead and two others injured when they jumped from a second-floor landing to safety...“All of this could have been avoided,” (resident)Nelson told a Chicago Tribune reporter. “There were so many code violations in the building.”

Wednesday’s deaths reveal the cost in blood of austerity measures and budget cuts...

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2010/dec2010/fire-d23.shtml

[Corey_Baker08]

1. May These Brave Firefighters RIP-They Made the Ultimate Sacrifice;I Will Be Lowering My Flag

These are true heroes, they ran into a burning building knowing that their lives were at stake because they suspected that there may have been homeless individuals inside, to me that is courage and selfless bravery. They could have made the decision that it was too dangerous to go and if there was homeless people in there its there fault because they shouldn't have been in there in the first place and they were probably the reason the fire started would have thought some firefighters, yet these brave men and possibly women didn't care if it was a millionaire or a homeless guy in that burning building they just did their job like they were trained an unfortunately a terrible tragedy happened and several great firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty and seventeen brave firefighters were injured most seriously
because they were doing their job and that was to risk their lives to go into a burning abandoned building to clear the building of any possible humans that may or may not have been in there.

I will pray for all of their families and I think them for their service and great sacrifice in an attempt to save innocent human beings. This is a sad story from beginning to the end and it is just unfortunate that the families of the fallen's lives will forever be changed by what began as a routine call that turned out to be their last call. Just a sad situation my heart weeps for these brave Chicago firefighters as well as their families, may their hearts and souls RIP and may the families briefly mourn their losses yet may the be comforted knowing that their loved ones died doing what they loved.

I will be lowering my flag to half-mast tomorrow for my neighboring state of Illinois here in Indiana and the brave men and women who not only serve the city of Chicago Fire Dept, but also the many more Fire Dept's around this great country who have lost brave men and women in the line of duty.

What a Tragedy