Nov. 25--An explosion of built-up natural gas from a leak likely caused the collapse of a three-story condominium building in the Washington Park neighborhood over the weekend, the Chicago Fire Department determined Tuesday.
Neighbors had described hearing a loud explosion before the 10-year-old frame apartment building collapsed about 7 p.m. Sunday in the 5800 block of South Calumet Avenue. The collapse left the building "pancaked," and firefighters rescued two women, ages 51 and 78, and a dog from the rubble, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said at the time.
The department's Office of Fire Investigation "determined the most probable cause of the building collapse ... was a buildup of natural gas from an appliance or customer owned piping in the lower level of the building," Langford said in a statement Tuesday. "The resulting ignition caused the structure to fail. Peoples Gas has worked closely with CFD on this investigation."
The gas buildup that led to the explosion appears to have been related to the building's internal connection to its gas meters, Langford said in an email.
Although they were taken to hospitals in serious-to-critical condition, both victims were speaking when they were pulled from the debris, fire officials said. The younger victim had been on the third floor, while the older woman had been on the second floor, officials said.
The building was built in 2005 and was cited last year for building code violations, but no fire code violations, according to city records. The property is a condominium building, but all the units have the same owner of record, according to property records. The owner has not been available for comment.
