No fire inspections for years at Cleveland high-rise before fire: I-Team

CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team found no records of regular fire safety inspections for years before flames broke out this month at a downtown high-rise apartment building.

We investigated since we’ve recently exposed many gaps in city fire safety checks.

Records show the last inspections at the Luckman Building had been done about four years ago. Two weeks ago, a fire at the Luckman exposed safety hazards.

Cleveland firefighters were called to the building at 12th and Chester.

“The pipes burst and the water was just pelting us. Smoke started filling the hallways and everybody started sprinting down,” said resident Andi Wilson. “I ran from the 18th floor stairwell, all the way down.”

We shared findings showing the most recent inspection records we could find were from 2020.

“Disappointed, but not surprised,” Wilson said. “Everybody deserves to live in a healthy and safe environment.”

Firefighters say the incident this month involved flames in a trash chute, but records show firefighters found “blocked and locked emergency exits.”

They also found the sprinkler system not working, the fire alarm system not working properly and building pipes bursting when needed by firefighters.

So, we did some digging to find the last time fire inspectors had been done in that building. We asked about sprinklers, alarms and pipes. The most recent inspection records show dates in 2020. Those records are signed by a private company and Cleveland Fire.

The fire chief recently told city council that inspectors get into every high-rise every year.

“In the course of an entire year, we have covered all buildings. All these systems are covered,” said Chief Anthony Luke at a public safety committee meeting.

On that same day, he said the same thing to the I-Team.

“So, you’re in all those high-rise buildings every year?” we asked.

“All high-rise buildings, every year,” the chief answered.

Yet, we recently found records showing alarm and sprinkler inspections in 2023 done in only about a third of the city’s high-rises.

And now, the gap at the Luckman Building.

By phone, a man speaking for the ownership told the I-Team, “It comes as a surprise to me to hear that. There have been three reputable property management companies maintaining the building.”

Andi expects all fire regulations to be followed and enforced.

“Yeah, those rules are in place for a very good reason,” she said.

Cleveland Fire tells us the most serious problems found after that high-rise fire this month have been corrected.

However, the fire department would not make anyone available to answer questions on camera for the I-Team.

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