81-Year-Old Woman Dies After Avalon Park House Fire

CHICAGO (CBS)-- An 81-year-old died after a house fire in the Avalon Park neighborhood Tuesday.

The flames started just before 2 a.m. in the 8200 block of Cornell Avenue.

The Chicago Fire Department said they encountered a frozen hydrant and escalated the alarm, but the frozen hydrant did not hinder the response to the fire.

Firefighters took the woman out of the house with severe burns. She was found only a few feet from the exit, and officials said no smoke detectors were found in the house.

The victim was taken University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, and later was pronounced dead.

The Fire Department said the fire started in the basement, and the probable cause of the fire was a wiring problem, and the fire will be deemed accidental.

The home did not have any smoke detectors, according to the Fire Department.

Firefighters spent Tuesday morning passing out free smoke detectors to neighbors who needed them.