A Chicago woman recently died in a fire just as she was stepping off of an elevator. The woman probably never realized what was happening until it was too late as the elevator door opened up to temperatures in excess of 1,500 degrees.

It has been speculated that the premises where the accident occurred likely violated various building codes. An elevator consultant stated that elevators are required to be fitted with fire sensors on every floor to prevent these types of occurrences. However, this particular building was constructed in the 1950s and therefore was not required to meet national building codes established in 1975.

A proposed new ordinance for Chicago would require that elevators descend to the ground floor during a fire and then discontinue operation. Unfortunately, the Chicago city council put off implementing such an ordinance until 2015. Also, the problem with current national building codes is that it would be even more appropriate to have these apply to older buildings than to new ones. It could be argued that such older buildings are even more prone to fires.

Apartment building owners and those that maintain such buildings do have a duty to make sure that residents living there are safe from fire hazards. This is especially true in a city like Chicago where so many individuals live in the vicinity of the downtown.

There are many residents that live in the upper floors and depend upon elevators to get up and down. Though building codes may not always be applicable to certain buildings, there is no reason why building owners cannot error on the side of caution. If such owners will not face criminal liability, they still may face civil liability.

The woman who died in the blaze was 32-years old and was returning to her 12th floor apartment along Lake Shore Drive. The fire began in another resident's apartment but because the resident failed to fully close the door while fleeing, the fire then spread into the hallway. Yet the deceased woman while riding up the elevator was never warned of any impending danger.

Source: ABC News, "Chicago Fire Death Highlights Elevator Hazards," by Chris Bury, Jan. 9, 2012