A house fire in the western suburb ofBerwyntook the life of a 56-year-old man.

The Berwyn Fire Department was called to the home of James Brelowski on the 2400 Block of South Euclid around 7:30 p.m. on January 16^th. The home had a lot of content inside, making it difficult for the first responders to move around. About ten minutes from the time of the firefighters’ arrival, Brelowski was found on a stairway in the home in an unresponsive state.

Brelowski was taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn where he was pronounced dead. The bungalow-style home received heavy damage in the in the attic and roof areas. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

A fire can destroy the contents of a home or take the lives of those we love. If you or a loved one know someone who lost a family member to a fire, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for a free legal consultation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

Last week, a Chicago firefighter was injured while fighting a blaze in the Englewood neighborhood.

On December 20^th, a fire broke out at a building at 6231 S. Racine Avenue at approximately 2:00 p.m. According to officials, the fire was on the first and second floors of the structure and spread to a building adjacent to the original building.

The fire was put out by 2:40 p.m. although firefighters remained on the scene. One firefighter was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park with a knee injury. He is reported to be in serious-to-fair condition.

When a serious injury takes place at work, it can take a long time to recover. Some people may have to file for Workman’s comp to get the help that they need. If you or a loved one know someone who has been injured at the workplace and needs help with their Workman’s Compensation claim, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for legal advice. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A construction worker was injured in a fire over the weekend in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago.

The construction worker was rehabbing a store front in a small strip mall on the 1800 block of South Kostner Avenue on September 1^st. Around 5:35 p.m. the fire was reported to authorities. It was stated that there was an explosion at the building. The building collapsed from fire damage.

The man was critically injured and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital for treatment of burns that came as a result of the fire. It is thought that the fire might have started as the construction worker was using a cutting torch that set off the explosion.

When an injury occurs at a workplace, the recovery time can be a long time. If you or a loved one know someone who was in an accident at work and might need workman’s compensation, call Spiros Law for reliable legal services. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A fire in an apartment building in Gary, Indiana has left two people dead and injured five others.

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 25^th, a fire broke out in a two-story brick apartment building. Firefighters responding to the blaze saw heavy smoke coming from the building as they arrived at the scene.

Four people were trapped on the second floor and rescued by firefighters through a front apartment. Once out of the building, the four were taken to Methodist Hospital. The bodies of two other people, a 14-year-old girl and a 33-year-old woman, were found in a rear apartment. They were pronounced dead at the scene. A firefighter fell through a floor in the building. He was taken to a local hospital for a knee injury.

Fire department officials are investigating the cause of the fire. According to witnesses, there were no working smoke alarms and the sprinklers did not spray water as tenants were trying to escape.

Fire move swiftly, doing damage to property and people. If you or a loved on know someone who has been injured in a fire, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for professional legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A fire in an apartment in Park Forest on July 10^th lead to the death of an elderly mother and her son.

A fire broke out in the apartment in the 100 block of Ash Street in a building that holds six units all together. Firefighters came to scene at approximately 2 p.m. and were able to put out the blaze quickly. But it was a fire that produced heavy smoke.

The body of Julia Markeo, 78, was found in the living room while the body of her son, Darrell Nelson, 59, was found in a bedroom.  A small dog was also found still alive in the apartment and given to a neighbor. Officials believe that that smoke inhalation was the cause of death for both members of the family. Smoke detectors were found in the apartment but were not working.

A fire can move through a home quickly, destroying everything in its wake. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been in a fire with a non-working smoke detectors, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore their legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

An extra-alarm fire on the southside of Chicago ran trhough an apartment building, sending four people to the hospital.

On Tuesday, June 26^th a fire broke out at the building located in the 700 block of East 82^nd Street. One resident stated that it was her dog who’s barking that woke her up. When she tried to go out her apartment door, it was very hot to the touch and she had to jump out of her window. Others grabbed children and family members and were greeted by firefighters outside of their windows.

The fire appears to have started in a stairwell and flames were seen coming out of the roof and upper windows when firefighters arrived on the scene. By 7:00 a.m., the fire was under control. Four people were sent to the hospital, one of those in critical condition.

Fires can break out anywhere and move quickly, causing damage to buildings and people. If you or a loved one knows someone whose life has been changed by a fire, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292  to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

In April 2010, a fire ripped through a ConAgra silo and injured three men who were cleaning one area. This past week the three men were awarded $180 million by a jury.

John W. Jentz, Robert Schmidt and Justin Becker made up one cleaning crew that was working on the silo located in the Southern Illinois town of Chester. As the men were leaving the work area, a fire broke out. A fireball raced through the elevator shaft as the men were coming down.

The settlement will be split among the three men. Jentz was burned on 70% of his body. Becker’s lungs were scarred from inhaling fumes of the high heat fire. Schmidt was burned on his hands  and his head.

In the weeks before the explosion, managers at the ConAgra silo had been told by employees that there was smoke and a strange smell in the silo.  A chemical reaction had ignited grain pellets six weeks prior to the explosion. The jury found ConAgra and the contractor that hired the men to be negligent in not properly warning the men of potential hazards.

When accidents happen at a workplace, people can get injured at different levels. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured at the workplace, call Spiros Law to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A fire and possible explosion in a Villa Park VFW during the weekly bingo night injured nine people, two of whom were in critical condition.

On May 29th, there were 50 people in the hall playing bingo while a welder was in the basement repairing the backstop of a shooting range. During the welding it is believed the insulation caught fire and spread quickly inside the walls of the one-story building.

Firefighters arrived at the building at approximately 6:30 p.m. Those who had escaped from the building had blackened faces from the soot. The heat of fast moving fires such as this one can cause lung damage. Two people were sent to area hospitals in critical condition while three others went in fair-to-serious condition. The rest were in good condition.

A quick moving fire damages more than the building. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured in a fire, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A house fire in Joliet Township took the life of an unidentified toddler last week.

On Thursday, May 17^th, neighbors spotted a house in the 1300 block of Sterling Avenue on fire. Emergency personal were called to the scene. Neighbors were able to rescue one person from the roof. The three-year-old child was in the home but heavy smoke and high heat repelled civilian, police and fire department responders.

The fire took over an hour to put out with the help of six nearby firefighting agencies. The child was pronounced dead at 2:45 p.m.; his identity is pending DNA verification. How the fire started remains under investigation.

A house fire damages property and the lives of the survivors. If you or a loved one has lost someone to a house fire, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

Childhood friends died during the early morning hours on Sunday, April 22 after a fire started in their Edwardsville off-campus apartment.

21-year-old Lacy Siddal and 19-year-old Lauren Petersen were students at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville. Around 3:45 a.m., a neighbor noticed smoke pouring out of a window in their apartment and called the fire department. First responders found the two women unconscious in the bedroom.

Fire fighters carried both women out of the apartment. They were taken to Anderson Hospital in Maryville and later flown to St. Luke’s Hospital in Chesterfield where both died on Monday. Officials are investigating whether or not the fire detector was working as well as for the source of the fire.

Losing a family member in a fire is devastating. If you or a loved one knows someone who has lost someone in a fire, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for professional legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.