Chicago’s got a rough relationship with fire.

Of course there was the great Chicago Fire of 1871 that destroyed thousands of buildings. And the Iroquois Theater fire of 1903 that killed hundreds of people.

With each incident, the city changed building codes for the better.

But Curious City keeps getting questions about a common wooden structure that looks like a fire hazard, but it’s meant for fire safety.

Former Manhattanite and current University of Chicago student Lee Kuhn asked us about Chicago's ubiquitous wooden back porches: "It seems at first glance, kind of illogical. If this is a fire escape - it’s made out of wood - what’s going on here?"

Curious City's own Jennifer Brandel reports.

Mixed with music by Podington Bear.

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