Denver and New Orleans are all pushing to implement nationally recognized best practices on building inspections and fire safety while Chicago officials resist change.
Fires
Posted inInvestigations
Smoke Detectors Save Lives, But Chicago Slow to Toughen Rules
A joint investigation with Illinois Answers and the Chicago Tribune found that smoke alarms were absent, defective or missing batteries in 57 out of 87 fatal residential fires in Chicago from 2020 through 2022.
Posted inGovernment Finance & Accountability
Fires Continue to Kill People in Unsafe Buildings as Chicago Ignores Problems with its Inspection System
As other cities across the country adopt innovative programs to fix problem buildings, Chicago lags behind
Posted inGovernment Finance & Accountability
9 Potential Solutions to Keep Chicagoans Safer From Fires
A follow-up to a BGA/Chicago Tribune investigation finds other major cities have enacted reforms to improve building safety that could save lives in Chicago — if city leaders break from a pattern of neglect.
Posted inGovernment Finance & Accountability
The Failures Before the Fires: Dozens Die in Chicago Buildings Where the City Knew of Fire Safety Issues
Saying a federal appeals court mistakenly created a “watershed moment” that could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul sides with insurance titans that administer healthcare reimbursements
Posted inGovernment Finance & Accountability
Deadly Fires, Broken Promises
Chicago’s political leaders fail to enact safety rules that stick.
Posted inGovernment Finance & Accountability
42 Fires, 61 Deaths: A Story of Failed City Oversight
Look at photos. Listen to 911 calls. Read excerpts from key documents.
Posted inGovernment Finance & Accountability
The Failures Before the Fires: How We Reported This Story
Saying a federal appeals court mistakenly created a “watershed moment” that could cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul sides with insurance titans that administer healthcare reimbursements
Posted inGovernment Finance & Accountability
‘Old Lessons That Tragically Went Unheeded’
Over and over, Chicago fails to learn from fatal fires
