Excerpts from the dailyherald.com:
Prospect Heights Fire Chief Drew Smith recalls that the apartment fire that occurred last Monday night in Mount Prospect, which displaced around 100 residents, had a layout strikingly similar to a fire that took place in 2018 in Prospect Heights. That earlier incident, at the River Trails Condominium complex, resulted in the destruction of 24 units and damage to 72 more, leaving many people homeless.
What connects these fires, along with 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 also pose significant challenges for firefighters, as they can shield flames from water, making it harder to control the fire.
“Unfortunately, the reality is that until the fire burns through the roof, the water can’t reach the flames. By that point, it’s often too late,†said Smith.
Similar issues have been seen in recent years, including a devastating fire at Windhaven Condominiums in Palatine in 2023, which left 22 units uninhabitable; a fire at Puente Del Pueblo apartments in West Chicago last year, displacing nearly 100 residents; and a blaze at Bristol Court in Park Ridge in 2022, which injured five people and made an entire 36-unit building unsafe.
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 engage the fire from inside, forcing them to switch to a defensive approach from the outside.
Unlike the common areas below, the attic did not have sprinklers, and the mansard roof prevented water from reaching the flames as they spread throughout the structure.
Mansard roofs, named after 17th-century French architect François Mansart, first gained popularity in France. They are known for their steep, sloping sides and unique window openings. While they fell out of favor in the U.S. after the 1970s, many older buildings in suburban areas still feature them.
Smith wrote a detailed report on a 2006 fire at River Trails, the same complex that was damaged again in 2018, for *Fire Engineering*. In it, he described how fire and smoke could spread undetected within the mansard roof.
“During overhaul and investigation, you could look into the mansard from the third-floor corner apartment and see it run the length of the building without any fire stops,†he wrote.
While the best way to prevent such disasters is to install sprinklers, it's both difficult and expensive to retrofit attics after a building is already constructed. As a result, many older buildings remain vulnerable to fires that can quickly escalate due to the design of their roofs.
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