A recent fatal fire in a Lake Shore Drive high-rise underscores confusion over fire safety laws. A 32 year old woman stepped off the elevator on the 12th floor and was met with a roaring inferno, estimated to be at 1500 degrees. In addition, several others were hospitalized with burns and smoke inhallation.

And this reveals one of the many issues arising from this fire. Modern buildings are required to have fire sensors on every floor and in the motor room that will prevent elevators from operating. The 21-story building was thought. to have been constructed in the 1950s and was not required to abide by Chicago's safety code, established in 1975.

In addition to not having the elevator sensors, the building was found to have more than a dozen violations, including lack of a sprinkler system. However, it's the elevator sensor that has triggered a dispute between the state and the city of Chicago.

The state fire code requires sensors that detect fire and return all elevator cars to the ground floor. The city exempts all buildings constructed prior to 1975 - the year the city safety code was enacted. Similarly, older buildings are exempted from sprinkler system requirements. The state fire code has required sprinkler systems in all high-rise buildings, regardless of age, since 2002.

The dispute continues, with some cities in Illinois adhering to state fire laws while others, such as Chicago, contend that their safety codes are actually stronger.

Source: MSNBC, High Rise Fire Citations Pit City vs State, by Phil Rogers, 1/19/2012.