2023
Hundreds of Lives Still Disrupted by 17 Chicago High-Rise Fires of 2023
Fire sprinklers could have prevented deaths, injuries, property loss and hundreds of displaced occupants.
Photos of the buildings were taken during or after the fire. The photos of the boarded up buildings were taken January 15, 2024.
January 25
4850 S. Lake Park Avenue
Harper Square Cooperative
Kenwood high-rise fire caused by smoking. Fire broke out on the 15th floor of the 25-story building. The fire spread quickly, going vertically all the way to the 24th floor.
April 5
1212 N. Lake Shore Drive
Fire started on the 27th floor. Chicago Fire Lieutenant Jan Tchoryk collapsed climbing the stairs as elevators were shut down. He was unable to be revived.
April 8
6430 S. Stony Island Drive
Island Terrace Apartments
Fire started on the 16th floor of the apartment building. Fire was ruled as “careless use of smoking materials.”
April 12
6151 N. Winthrop Avenue
Winthrop Tower
Third high-rise fire in Chicago in one week.
May 4
6730 S. South Shore Drive
Lakefront Place
Fire occurred on the 10th floor of the 15-story building. Same building had a two-fatality fire in 2013.
June 11
999 N. Lake Shore Drive
Flames were seen on the roof of the Streeterville building. Fire was contained to a penthouse’s wooden deck.
July 31
7100 S. South Shore Drive
7100 South Shore Apartments
Same building had a fire that injured a resident in 2017.
August 18
421 W. Melrose Street
The Eddystone
September 10
3620 S. Rhodes Avenue
Lawless Gardens Apartments
September 23
3550 S. Rhodes Avenue
Lawless Gardens Apartments
Across the parking lot from previous fire at 3620 S. Rhodes Avenue.
October 4
6401 S. Yale Avenue
Vivian Carter Apartments
Fire in senior housing high-rise.
October 9
3110 N. Sheridan Road
November 6
3515 S. Cottage Grove Avenue
Lake Grove Village Apartments
December 8
3033 N. Sheridan Road
3033 Sheridan Tower Condominiums
December 10
6430 S. Stony Island Avenue
Fire in a trash chute.
December 26
6253 S. Michigan Avenue
Southland Village Apartments
December 29
1020 W. Foster Avenue / 5200 N. Sheridan Road
The Edison Apartments
Residents trapped and rescued by ladder. Smoke alarm system did not operate.