MARATHON, Fla. – Nearly one month after a concrete balcony collapsed at an apartment complex in the Florida Keys, many residents said they are still looking for a place to stay after the building was deemed unsafe by Marathon city officials.
Marty Curry recalled hearing a crunching and creaking sound before the collapse. “I don’t know how I got off the sofa as fast as I did,” she said.
“Of course, our immediate reaction was fear and panic,” said resident Danielle Moorad. “Next thing we knew we had about five, ten minutes to get out.”
According to the city manager, contractors and engineers hired by the property owner discovered the problems in the complex were worse than they thought.
The building, workforce housing owned by the St. Columba Episcopal church, was deemed unsafe in an engineering report after “spalling and cracks were noticed at the balconies.” “The main structural members (beams & columns) require immediate concrete repair,” the report also noted.
In the wake of Surfside, Keys officials determined that multi-story buildings more than 17 years old must undergo an Existing Building Recertification (EBR) every 10 years. The complex was up for an EBR, according to the city manager.
This week, workers put up fencing to keep people from the building, and last Sunday was the last day people could get their things.
Moorad and Curry, along with several others who lived in the complex, said they are struggling to find another home.
“There is just nowhere to live that’s affordable,” Curry said.
“We lost everything. There’s a lot of my things that I just have to give up,” Moorad said. “Any life that I had built for myself coming down here, it seems like it’s been shattered pretty quickly.”
A representative of the St. Columba Episcopal Church, the building owner, said there was no comment at this time and they will be consulting with lawyers.
Copyright 2023 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
Janine Stanwood joined Local 10 News in February 2004 as an assignment editor. She is now a general assignment reporter. Before moving to South Florida from her Washington home, Janine was the senior legislative correspondent for a United States senator on Capitol Hill.
email facebook twitter
National Code
2012 IFC 1104.16.5.1 Fire escape stairs must be examined every 5 years ,by design professional or others acceptable and inspection report must be submitted to the fire code official.
IBC 1001.3.3 All fire escapes shall be examined and/or tested and certified every five years by a design professional or others acceptable who will then submit an affidavit city official.
NFPA LIFE SAFETY CODE 101 7.2.8.6.2 The Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) shall approve any fire escape by Load Test or other evidence of strength (Certification).
OSHA 1910.37 Exit routes must be maintained during construction, repairs, alterations or provide alternative egress with equivalent level of safety. (permit issued if egress is certified or with egress scaffolding)
Illinois Code
Chicago Code
All metal structural members shall be adequately protected against corrosion and shall be scraped and painted at least once every three years.
CHICAGO -- Fire officials say they suspect arson in a North Side fire that caused a woman's death.
The woman died from her injuries after jumping out a window to escape the extra-alarm fire.
The fire started around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at an apartment building in the 1700 block of West Touhy Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood.
Officials say the fire started on the rear porches of the building and quickly spread inside. They are investigating it as arson.
A woman jumped from an upper floor of the building before crews were able to rescue her. She was transported to the hospital in critical condition, but died shortly after.
The woman has been identified as 51-year-old Maria Silva.
Another woman was treated and released for smoke inhalation.
The Red Cross is assisting at least 24 displaced residents.
No one is in custody.
SOURCE: Chicago, WGN9 TV Woman dies after jumping from extra-alarm fire on North Side POSTED 7:11 AM, JUNE 5, 2018, BY WGN WEB DESK AND NANCY LOO, UPDATED AT 05:03PM, JUNE 5, 2018
PLAINFIELD, IL — The majority of home fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms according to statistics from the National Fire Protection Association. When smoke alarms fail to operate it is usually because batteries are missing, disconnected or dead. Smoke alarms that are hardwired into your home's electric also have a battery that needs to be changed so your smoke alarms will continue to operate during a power outage.
Change the batteries in your home's smoke alarms every six months. Test your smoke alarms monthly and replace them if they fail to test regardless of their age. All smoke alarms need to be replaced every ten years even if they seem to be operating just fine. There should be a smoke alarm on every level of your home, including your basement.
Smoke alarms should also be located inside of bedrooms and in hallways outside of bedrooms. Interconnected smoke alarms provide the best warning because when one activates/sounds they all sound throughout your home. There are also smoke alarms available that come with a ten year battery built into the unit from the manufacturer that eliminate the need to change the batteries for the lifetime of the unit. All smoke alarms should be maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions.
In addition to working smoke alarms plan and practice home fire escape drills with your family. Plan for two ways out of every room. Have a fire escape ladder for upper story rooms, available at most hardware and general merchandise stores. Plan ahead who will be responsible for assisting family members that are not able to escape on their own. Make sure everyone knows where your family meeting place is located outside. When the alarm sounds get outside and stay outside. Remember to crawl low below the smoke as you are escaping and once outside call 9-1-1 from a cell phone or a neighbor's phone.
For more information on smoke alarms and fire escape planning please visit the National Fire Protection Association web site at https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education or visit our web site at www.plainfieldfpd.com. For assistance in checking or changing your smoke alarm batteries please call the Plainfield Fire Protection District at 815-436-5335.
JERSEY CITY - Firefighters are battling a devastating blaze on Grant Avenue tonight.
The four-alarm fire at 21 Grant Ave. critically injured one man and an infant needed to be resuscitated by first responders, Fire Chief Steven McGill said at the scene.
Firefighters arrived at the blaze at about 7 p.m. and more than an hour later the blaze was still not under control. The entire block was covered in smoke, making it difficult to breathe.
McGill said the male victim -- whose injuries are considered life-threatening -- was pulled from the basement of the three-story building, where the fire is believed to have started.
An infant was not breathing when first responders arrived at the scene. The baby was brought inside a nearby home and was resuscitated. The infant is expected to survive, McGill said.
A third victim was taken to the hospital after he suffered a cut on his hand trying to escape the blaze from the building's fire escape.
Additional information was not immediately available.
Source: The Jersey Journal, "Man critically injured, baby resuscitated after being pulled from fire" by Caitlin Mota
Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
A portion of a street in Chicago's South Loop neighborhood was closed Sunday because of the threat of falling ice from a frozen-over high-rise.
A broken sprinkler system on one of the upper floors of a building at 615 S. Wabash covered the exterior wall in ice, according to Chicago police, leaving most of the fire escape frozen over.
Chicago police officers were stationed at both ends of South Wabash Avenue between East Harrison Street and East Balbo Drive, blocking the street to both cars and pedestrians amid a growing concern that the icicles would as temperatures continue to rise after a record cold snap across Chicago.
It’s unclear when the street will be reopened, as authorities remained on the scene and city officials were expected to meet Sunday to formulate a plan to remove the ice.
Sun-Times file photo
About 10 a.m., the 39-year-old man was working on the first-floor fire escape in the 1800 block of South Blue Island when it detached from the building and he fell, according to Chicago Police.
The man was taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition stabilized, police said.
Fire Fighter Dies from Fall off Fire Escape Ladder – Illinois
Make some time today to read the Lessons from the Fireground from NIOSH Report F2010-25 related to operations from fire escapes. Get your company out into the streets today or this evening and take a look at some of your buildings and the material condition of existing building features and fire escape platforms, connections, counterweights, drop ladders, treads etc. Discuss with your company or station the various conditions to look for both during day and night operations and during times in which smoke may obscure critical safety conditions and impact operational integrity. Think about loading considerations. from operating personnel as well as from charged hose lines and added civilians. Lots to discuss, learn and share; all at the same time taking pause with remembrance and honor for Firefighter Christopher D. Wheatley, Chicago Fire Department (IL)
Firefighter Christopher Wheatley, CFD
Firefighter Christopher D. Wheatley, Chicago Fire Department (IL)
Firefighter Wheatley and his ladder company were dispatched to a structural fire in a four-story commercial and residential structure.
Upon their arrival, firefighters observed smoke and sparks coming from a cooking exhaust fan chute.
Firefighter Wheatley ascended a ladder attached to the side of the building to gain access to the roof.
He was wearing full structural firefighting protective clothing, including a SCBA.
He also carried a water fire extinguisher with him as he climbed.
When Firefighter Wheatley reached the roof, he lost his grip and fell 53 feet to the ground.
Firefighter Wheatley landed on his feet and immediately dropped to the ground.
Firefighter Wheatley was treated by firefighters and transported to the hospital. He was pronounced dead at the hospital due to multiple injuries.
Please take the time to review the Lessons from the Fireground of this LODD and apply them to your company, battalion, division or organization.
View form the street- NIOSH Photo
Â
Â
Alpha-Delta Side with Upper Straight Ladder to Roof
Contributing Factors from NIOSH Report
Key NIOSH Recommendations
Take the necessary precautions while utilizing these building features to enhance operational flexibility and fire and rescue effectiveness. Photo CJ Naum
Operational Considerations from FiregroundLeadership.com
The presence of deteriorated or compromised attachment and fastening hardware, brackets, angle iron and connectors is highly probable. Use caution when pulling down a drop ladder from above. Photo CJ Naum
Fire Escapes come in all sizes. Photo CJ Naum
Additionally, the following NIOSH LODD is provided related to roof operations and transitioning from tactical positions for task assignments.
Career Fire Fighter Dies in Fall from Roof at Apartment Building Fire – New York
SUMMARY
On June 21, 2007, a 23-year-old male career fire fighter (the victim) died after falling from the roof at a four-story apartment building fire. When fire fighters arrived on scene, light smoke and fire was showing from a 4th floor window. The victim had just climbed the truck ladder to the roof bulkhead and was attempting to lower himself to the main roof when he fell. The roof saw (slung on the victim’s back) shifted causing the victim to lose his balance and fall to the ground. Fire fighters had been on scene less than 3 minutes when the victim fell. The victim was transported to a metropolitan hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Key contributing factors to this incident include: judgment of the fire fighter in deciding on a riskier means of moving from the roof bulkhead to the main roof, the placement of the ladder against the roof bulkhead rather than the main roof which introduced additional fall risks for fire fighters, the hazardous task of climbing a ladder while laden with tools and equipment, and the method in which the saw was carried which allowed the shifting saw to put the fire fighter off balance.
NIOSH has concluded that, to minimize the risk of similar occurrences, fire departments should:
Manufacturers of fire service saws should:
CHICAGO (CBS) — Two girls were found dead and four others were injured in a house fire Saturday night in the Woodlawn neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side.
CBS 2’s Lauren Victory Reports.
There is still no official cause for the fire that killed seven-month-old Ziya Grace and two-year-old Jamaii Grace. Both children were found dead in the basement of the home. The blaze injured three other children and a firefighter as well.
Firefighters responded to the two-story house fire at around 10:30 p.m. and rescued a six-year-old boy. He’s in critical condition at Comer Children’s Hospital. His relation to the two deceased children is not known.
Two women, ages 25 and 48, escaped the blaze and were taken to University of Chicago Medical Center where their conditions stabilized. A firefighter suffered minor injuries and was taken to the same hospital.
Deputy District Chief Mike Carbone said the fire moved quickly.
“A lot of credit has to go to these fire companies. They went in there under very heavy fire conditions,” he said.
Records from 2014 show the house on South Champlain Avenue having safety violations regarding the fire escape and stairs. Fire officials also said there were no smoke alarms in the basement, where the fire started.
Chicago Police’s Arson Unit is investigating. The cause of the blaze appears to be accidental.
More from Lauren Victory
