(Above) Chicago Fire Department vehicles parked on North State Street next to Marina City on February 19. (Click on image to view larger version.)

28-Feb-15 – A small fire in a trash chute in Marina City’s west tower on February 19 may have gone undetected and unreported for several minutes.

If witness accounts are accurate, and smoke filled their hallways for 20 minutes while they waited for information, the Chicago Fire Department suspects that for most of that time, they had not even been notified.

According to CFD, a resident on the 59th floor of the west tower called 911 at 11:36 a.m. The first emergency vehicle on the scene was Engine 13, arriving at 11:38 a.m. But residents say for 20 minutes, there was no communication from building management despite a voice communication system that was installed and tested as required by a new city ordinance.

One resident says he tried calling the building management office but was unable to reach anyone. During this time, the fire, though small and ultimately harmless, was producing smoke that was, said another resident, difficult to breathe and impossible to see through. The first announcement they heard was from the fire department.

Larry Langford, director of media affairs for CFD, says they received no automatic alarm from Marina City but responded quickly once the 911 call came in.

Once the fire was detected and CFD had not yet arrived, Langford says building personnel should have made an announcement.

“Competent building personnel would be making some form of announcement in a clear and concise manner that should indicate…that CFD has or is being notified,” says Langford, “along with assurances that the situation is being addressed.”

Langford says a fire investigation team would need “only a short time” to assess the situation and make an announcement. The delay might have happened because there was no automatic alarm and only the phone call from a resident to alert fire fighters.

Shannon Grealy, manager of the residential property at Marina City, has not responded to requests for comment.