Woman Dead After Oakland Fire
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A woman is dead and three people were displaced during a fire at a home in the South Side Oakland neighborhood Sunday morning.
A still and box alarm was called at 8:15 a.m. for a fire in a two-story residence in the 4100 block of South Berkeley Avenue, according to Fire Media Affairs.
A woman, possibly in her 40s, was found unconscious on the second floor where heavy smoke damage was sustained, Fire Media Affairs spokeswoman Meg Ahlheim said. She suffered from smoke inhalation.
The victim, whose name is being withheld pending family notification, was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
The fire appeared to have originated on the first floor of the single family home where heavy fire damage was found, Ahleim said.
Three other people were able to leave the house safely, Ahleim said.
The owner of the home, Kimberly Banks, and her two adult sons were able to escape from the fire, said Brian Banks, brother of the homeowner.
An early celebration was held at the home Saturday night for Brian Banks' 45th birthday, which is in April, he said.
The victim, a family friend, was staying the night at the home when the fire began in the living room in the front of the house, Banks said. The fire, which is believed to be electrical, quickly spread to the second floor and through the roof.
The fire was extinguished at 8:39 a.m., Ahleim said.
There were working smoke detectors in the home, Ahleim said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
