West Suburban Bureau

Apartment Fire Leaves 3 Children Dead

Authorities: Blaze In Summit Public Housing Unit Was Caused By Candle

SUMMIT, Ill. (CBS) ― Many residents in southwest suburban Summit are in mourning tonight after a fire killed three small children overnight. It started late last night on West 63rd Place. CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports that neighbors made a valiant effort to rescue the children.

At the site where three children were killed by fire, an impromptu afternoon prayer session breaks out as grieving neighbors ponder the loss.

"It was one of the worst things I've ever seen in my life," neighbor Kevin Armstrong said. "We got all kinds of people around here doing stuff – shooting, gangbanging. Didn't nothin' happen to them. Happened to some innocents with hearts of gold."

The deadly fire broke out around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night in a unit at 7441 W. 63rd Pl. in the Robert Allison Homes, a public housing development operated by Cook County.

The blaze claimed the lives of 8-year-old Jordan Robinson, and her two brothers, 3-year-old Cory and 1-year-old Cameron.

Cory was pronounced dead at Adventist LaGrange Memorial Hospital in LaGrange, and Jordan and Cameron were pronounced dead at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn.

The children's mother, Ebony Tiggs, 25, survived and was hospitalized.

"I woke up, the neighbor's at my door hollering, 'save my kids,'" said Tommy Bowens, next door neighbor. "We came downstairs, trying to save them. Then, kaboom. That's how it went. Nobody could save them, nobody could get in there."

The mother, who was carried away by firefighters, told rescuers, she had mistakenly left a candle burning before falling asleep. She leapt from a second-story window to escape.

"She jumped out her baby window where one of her kids' sleep at," Kevin Armstrong said. "She was trying to get her kids. But like I said, that smoke and fire spread so fast, there wasn't nothing none of us could do."

Firefighters said the blaze moved swiftly and was fully involved when they arrived, with fire coming out of the front of the house.

The Illinois State Fire Marshal investigated and found no evidence of electrical problems in the housing development, as neighbors have suggested. The Fire Marshal's office said as of mid-day Wednesday, it appeared that a candle started the fire that trapped the children.

LaShon Armstrong who lives across the street, started babysitting the children Tuesday when Tiggs started a new job at Motorola.

"I feel sick; I feel sad. That could have been any one of us," LaShon Armstrong said as she clutched some toys which are now all she has left of the three children. "It's Cory's favorite car. He took it everywhere with him; he'd keep it in his pocket."

The children were in the apartment with their mother when the fire broke out. Neighbors saw the flames and tried to get the family out.

"We tried to get in through the back and broke the window out, but the smoke was so thick and it was coming," Kevin Armstrong said.

Another neighbor, Terry Hanna, said he called 911 when he saw flames in the window and then tried to fight the fire with other neighbors.

"I ran over here. There were people trying to get the water hose going. When I arrived, I tried to do the same – help them with the fire hose, because we knew kids were in there. At that time, there was only fire going," Hanna said.

"I tried to go in. I tried to go in, but the flames were right in the door, and I couldn't get in," Hanna added. "Now it's too late."

"All she [Tiggs] kept saying was she don't want to live no more, she don't want to live no more, she don't want to live no more, her kids, her kids," Kevin Armstrong said.

Fire officials said Tiggs apparently forgot about a burning candle.

"She had a candle burning, and she was cleaning the house. She went upstairs, she said she fell asleep," said Summit Fire Chief Robert Wasko. "A child came up and woke her up. Smoke detectors were going off."

Neighbors were devastated by the deaths, and placed flowers and toys near the charred building.

"I'm always thinking about the kids. They were all beautiful, respectful, playful, fun – they were all that," Kevin Armstrong said.

Investigators say the fire began in the ground floor living room of Tiggs' three-bedroom apartment. But by the time firefighters arrived, the apartment was engulfed in flames.

"I just pray for all three of their souls and their mom," said Luther Roberson, neighbor. "It's hard right now."

Tiggs was hospitalized with burns and critical injuries, authorities and neighbors said. She is now listed in good condition at the hospital, according to a spokeswoman for Adventist La Grange Memorial.

About 30 firefighters fought the blaze, which was controlled within 15 minutes, Gallaga said. A family to the east of the Robinson's apartment was displaced and the fire unit was uninhabitable, badly damaged by fire and smoke.

Village officials said the public housing building and others around it were slated for demolition, but the county was awaiting federal approval. No building code violations were discovered.

CBS 2's Derrick Blakley, Joanie Lum and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.

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