Excerpts from the dailyherald.com:
Prospect Heights Fire Chief Drew Smith recalls a fire that occurred last Monday night in Mount Prospect, which displaced around 100 residents. He noted that the layout of the apartment building was nearly identical to a 2018 fire that took place in Prospect Heights at the River Trails Condominium complex. That earlier incident destroyed 24 units and damaged 72 more, leaving many families without a place to live.
What connects these fires—and several other major apartment blazes in the suburbs since 2018—is the presence of mansard-style roofs. These types of roofs were popular among builders during the 1960s and 1970s because they provided extra living space on the top floor. However, they pose significant challenges for firefighters, as they can shield flames from water, making it harder to control the fire early on.
“Unfortunately, the reality is that until the fire burns through the roof, the water can’t reach the flames,†Smith explained. “By the time that happens, it’s usually too late.â€
Other incidents have followed a similar pattern. In 2023, a fire at Windhaven Condominiums in Palatine left 22 units uninhabitable. Last year, the Puente Del Pueblo apartments in West Chicago saw about 100 residents displaced. And in 2022, a fire at Bristol Court in Park Ridge injured five people and rendered an entire 36-unit building unlivable.
The latest fire at Orion Parkview Apartments in Mount Prospect started in the cockloft of a 36-unit building. The intense heat made it impossible for firefighters to attack the blaze from inside, forcing them to take a defensive approach from the outside.
Unlike common areas below, the attic did not have sprinklers, and the mansard roof prevented water from reaching the flames as they spread.
Mansard roofs, named after 17th-century French architect François Mansart, were once widely used in French homes. They feature steeply sloped sides with various roofing materials and small windows built into the roof. Though they fell out of favor in the U.S. after the 1970s, many such buildings still exist in suburban areas today.
Smith has written about the dangers of these roofs before. In a 2006 report on a fire at River Trails—same complex that burned again in 2018—he detailed how fire and smoke could move undetected through the mansard structure.
“During overhaul and investigation, you could look into the mansard from the third-floor corner apartment and see it run the full length of the building without a fire stop,†he wrote.
While the best solution is to install sprinklers, it's often difficult and expensive to retrofit attics after construction is complete. As a result, many older buildings remain vulnerable to these types of fires.
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