Protecting the older population in house fires continues to be an issue across the country and in the city.
On Thursday morning, a 60-year-old man died in a house fire on Orange Street. It's the second person to die in a home this week. The other took place Tuesday morning at a home on Illinois Street where a 62-year-old was unable to get out in time.
An IFD spokesperson said the department has made it a focal point in recent years to boost fire protection in the homes of people who are 50 and older. Those homes, especially ones where children aren't present, tend to be homes where there aren't working smoke alarms.
"That 50 and older population that doesn’t fit neatly into one of those other categories and sometimes it’s just a forgotten group of population," said CICOA CEO Orion Bell.