CLEVELAND (WJW) — The FOX 8 I-Team has found the Cleveland Department of Fire not doing regular inspections for fire hazards even in the city’s tallest buildings.
For weeks, we requested inspection records, and we came away with what we did not see. And, we looked into what it means for your safety.
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Last September, we covered a fire burning in a high-rise apartment building on the city’s east side. And, in 2022, we saw a raging fire at the top of a downtown apartment complex.
But, the I-TEAM has found no evidence the fire department is conducting regular life safety inspections.
We requested “general inspections” of “maximum risk” buildings for the last two years. The response we received back included “The … Cleveland Division of Fire … has not located … records …”
So, we took a closer look.
For one high-rise hotel downtown, we found no inspection records. For another big hotel, we saw only inspections tied to ballrooms and entertainment licenses.