Fire victims and their families sought support and answers this week from the Chicago Heights City Council after losing their homes in October fires, and Mayor David Gonzalez said arson is suspected.
“I can’t talk for the fire marshal, but we’re pretty confident that that was deliberately set at two different locations.” he said. “But I don’t think it’s because people are trying to clear anybody out. I think it’s just people that have nothing better to do but just to cause pain and problems in the area.”
Several residents and family members questioned officials about a nonworking fire hydrant that firefighters said delayed efforts to extinguish the blazes Oct. 22 on Lowe Avenue.
“I’m absolutely confused about the whole situation,” said James Campbell, whose mother’s home was lost. “I mean, every time I look at my mother’s home, I’m absolutely discouraged and disheartened. You understand, to see a home that I grew up in nothing but rubbish, absolute rubbish.”
His mother, Alicia Campbell, requested help to rebuild.
“I want to stay in my community as I forestated, I’m comfortable there,” she said. “I feel safe there, and that’s where I want to be.”
Jaron Boyd, who lived in the house adjacent to Alicia Campbell’s, asked the council for help recovering important documents.
“My wife, she’s from Canada, and some of those documents are green cards and things like that,” Boyd said. “That’s very expensive.”
While he is grateful for the help he has received, Boyd asked what other assistance might be available for him and his neighbors.
Others sought accountability.
“Who’s responsible for fixing the fire hydrants so this doesn’t happen tomorrow?” asked Tim Scott.
A few days after the fires, the mayor’s office said in a statement six of the seven area hydrants were full operational, and fire crews only experienced a “momentary delay” while battling the second fire on Lowe Avenue, because they had to run additional hose lines to access a nearby hydrant.
Gonzalez said Wednesday the delay was caused by a water main break while putting out the flames, forcing crews to disconnect the hose and access a different hydrant farther down the street.
Still, Gonzalez told fire victims he is investigating why the one hydrant was not operational and promised to find answers to the concerns raised at Saturday’s 3rd Ward meeting, where officials addressed community questions.
“I can’t bring back those pictures, those personal belongings, there’s nothing I could say to bring that back,” Gonzalez said. “But what I will bring back is answers to a lot of questions that people had.”
The mayor said officials will continue to attend neighborhood meetings to hear and respond to concerns.
“And one thing I’m promising is, if I got answers to your questions, I’m going to give them to you,” he said. “But I’m not going to make up stuff just because you want to hear something.”
The fires damaged six homes, three of them abandoned, and displaced nine residents. The fires were extinguished shortly after 1 a.m. Oct. 23, according to the city’s timeline of events.
Officials said the fire initially started in an abandoned house under construction on Lowe Avenue, with embers quickly spreading to two neighboring homes. About 30 minutes later, fire crews were alerted to flames at another abandoned house across the street, which also spread to two neighboring homes, the timeline shows.
Fire victims questioned when the hydrants on Lowe Avenue were last inspected. Doris Williams, who lost her home in the fire, said she saw a sticker on one hydrant that indicated it had been last checked in 2022.
Gonzalez said city records show the hydrants were inspected within the past six months, just before the streets and sidewalks on Lowe Avenue were repaved.
“We’re going to look in our records, but we don’t feel that that fire hydrant has been sitting that way for over two years,” he said.
Gonzalez also sought to address concerns raised by Williams and other fire victims, who suggested the delays reflected a troubling pattern seen in previous administrations.
“I understand about what happened in prior administrations. I grew up here just like Miss Williams did. So I understand when she talks about the prior administration, but this isn’t the prior administration,” he said. “I’m on my fourth term here, and we’re going to always respond.”
He also reassured fire victims his goal is not to push them out, but to bring people back into the community, addressing a concern raised by some who speculated the fires were part of a plan to demolish old homes to make way for new developments.
“Just in the last two months, we’re putting millions of dollars in the 3rd Ward for demolition, for street resurfacing, for the purpose of bringing families back, not to take them out,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said the city is working with U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly to get the Boyd’s their lost documents, and with Bethel Baptist Church and the Bethel Family Resource Center to provide clothing and food vouchers for families.
“This is going to have to be a community thing to help. This can’t be just the city,” Gonzalez said. “The city doesn’t have those type of resources for to help, but we want to be part of it.”
smoilanen@chicagotribune.com
