Cook County mother, three children displaced after furnace fire leaves apartment uninhabitable

The Brief

  • A furnace malfunction sent smoke through a Midlothian apartment, forcing a mother and her three children to flee.
  • The family says their home is now uninhabitable, leaving them moving between relatives’ homes and hotels.
  • A GoFundMe has been set up as the family seeks shelter, clothing and other basic needs.

COOK COUNTY, Ill. A Midlothian mother and her three children are searching for help and stability after a furnace malfunction filled their apartment with smoke and forced them to flee with little more than the clothes they were wearing.

The backstory:

Starquita White says the frightening ordeal began when she woke up to freezing temperatures inside her apartment. Believing it was a routine issue, she called maintenance for help. Within minutes, the situation escalated.

Story continues

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