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Girl, 12, Killed In Northwest Suburban Fire

MCHENRY, Ill. (STMW) -- A 12-year-old girl was killed in a fire early Friday that destroyed a home in northwest suburban McHenry.

The fire started about 1:20 a.m. at a single-family home in the 4500 block of West Parkway Avenue in McHenry, according to McHenry Township Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Rudy Horist.

Firefighters found the girl dead in an upstairs bedroom, he said. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:45 a.m.

Neighbors identified the victim as Dayana Garcia, whom they described as a sweet and shy girl.

An autopsy determined she died from smoke inhalation, according to the McHenry County Coroner's office. Her identity was not being released as of Friday afternoon.

Horist said the other occupants of the home safely escaped before firefighters arrived. The coroner's office identified the other residents as the girl's mother, father and brothers, none of whom were injured.

The roof and floors of the home collapsed during the blaze, and the "heavily damaged" home was left uninhabitable, Horist said. The American Red Cross was called to the scene to assist the family.

The home was in an area of the city with an older water system and firefighters called for a second alarm and assistance from tanker trucks as part of standard procedure, he said.

Firefighters from Cary, Wonder Lake, Richmond, Fox Lake and Woodstock assisted in the firefighting efforts, according to a joint release from the McHenry police and fire departments.

The state fire marshal's office are aiding in investigating the cause of the blaze, Horist said. The coroner's office said foul play is not suspected.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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