Official: Improperly spliced cords caused fire that killed 5

DES PLAINES, Ill. (AP) — A fire official says a fire at a suburban Chicago apartment that killed four young girls and their mother last year was caused by two electrical cords that had been improperly spliced together. Division Chief Dave Schuman of Des Plaines’ fire prevention bureau says one cord was part of a space heater that had been the focus of the fire investigation from the outset, while the other was a heavy-duty extension cord plugged into a kitchen wall outlet in the second-floor apartment. The Daily Herald of Arlington Heights reports that officials said shortly after the Jan. 27, 2021, fire that the five victims became trapped inside the apartment.