Crime & Safety
2013 Had the Fewest Fire Deaths In Chicago - Ever
The number is part of a trend that has been consistent for decades.
According to statistics released by the Chicago Fire Department this week 2013 had the lowest number of fire-related deaths in the city's history.
A total of 16 people died in Chicago last year as the result of fires, a number that is far lower than trends from just a decade ago.
In 2012 there were 27 fire-related deaths. The numbers have been falling steadily since the 1960s as smoke detectors and sprinklers became more common.
"If working smoke detectors had been in place in every building, the number of deaths in 2013 could have been much, much lower for 12 of these buildings did not have smoke detectors,” said Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago during a press conference on Monday.
The Sun-Times takes a look at the numbers and discusses the department's historical forces that may have led to the consistently dropping numbers.
Read the full story from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
