Seven Injured in Joliet Apartment Fire on North Essington Road

Unsafe Premises - June 12, 2025

Trapped Residents Rescued From Joliet Apartment Fire By Maintenance Worker

JOLIET, ILLINOIS (June 12, 2025) – At least seven people were injured in a Joliet apartment building fire on the 100 block of North Essington Road.

Joliet police officials are saying that the fire started around 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday. At least seven people were trapped inside of the apartment.

This included a young mother, a father, and a 3-year-old. A maintenance worker at the apartment was able to retrieve an extension ladder from a nearby shed in order to help rescue the family.

The father apparently fell to the ground after hanging from a balcony. However, the mother and the 3-year-old were both rescued with the ladder.

At least 15 people were home at the time of the fire. The cause of the fire is currently being investigated.

Liability for Will County Apartment Fires

Residential fires remain one of the leading causes of preventable injury and death in the United States. According to the National Fire Protection Association, “In 2023, local fire departments, including departments protecting towns, townships, cities, and counties, responded to an estimated 1,389,000 fires in the US. These fires caused an estimated 3,670 civilian deaths; 13,350 civilian injuries; and $23 billion in direct property damage.” There are many different factors that could contribute to an apartment fire.

• Cooking Accidents: It is common for apartment fires to begin in the kitchen. In many cases, unattended items that are being cooked may catch fire.
• Electrical Malfunctions: Another major cause of apartment fires is electrical malfunctions. A building may have faulty wiring or overloaded power strips.
• Heating Equipment: Apartments across Illinois can become very cold during the winter months. Many people turn to portable space heaters. These devices could cause a fire if they are put too close to combustible material.

All apartments in Illinois have a legal obligation to protect their residents from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. This includes protecting them from fires. Apartment owners must take steps to prevent fires and to mitigate their harm if one does break out. If an apartment owner has actual or constructive notice of a dangerous condition with their property and fails to take action, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. Apartment owners should take several steps to protect their residence from fires.

• Apartment owners should comply with all fire codes. This will typically include installing smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in certain locations.
• Apartment owners should ensure that none of the exits to their building are obstructed. Any obstructions could easily become a fire hazard.
• Apartment owners should perform routine maintenance on all of the major appliances, especially water boilers.

It can be hard to know where to begin after any apartment fire. Victims may lose all of their earthly possessions. They could also be left with very severe injuries that require extensive surgeries. To make matters worse, apartment owners will often do everything in their power to avoid responsibility if one of their residents is injured in a fire. This is where a personal injury attorney can help. Any person injured in a Joliet apartment fire may be able to seek some measure of accountability through a bodily injury claim.

Investigating Joliet Apartment Fires

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to all of the people injured in this Joliet apartment fire. It is our sincere hope that they will be able to make a full recovery. Any person that may have more information about how this fire started should reach out to the authorities. Many questions remain unanswered. Was this apartment compliant with fire safety codes? Did it have working smoke detectors? When was the last time it passed a fire inspection?

Have you or someone you care about been injured in a Joliet apartment fire? You may be entitled to financial damages and medical support. Our team of personal injury attorneys is here to help in any way that we can. We are committed to helping accident victims get the support and justice that they are entitled to. There is no case too big or too complex for us to handle. Whether you just have legal questions or are wondering how an attorney might be able to help with your specific situation, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.