Evanston fire officials are investigating how a fire started Thursday at a city residence, where the body of its elderly owner was discovered after he entered the burning house.
Firefighters responded to 1516 Brummel Street at around noon Thursday on a report of smoke coming from a residential structure, officials said is a news release. According to the release, the first responding fire companies encountered heavy black smoke and fire in the home. Additional assistance from neighboring fire departments was requested.
Authorities said in the release that the homeowners discovered the fire after arriving home to find smoke coming from the residence. One of the owners, an 86-year-old man, entered the home, looking to find the source of the fire. . But when firefighters arrived on the scene, they quickly found the man at the bottom of the basement stairs and pulled him from the home.
Paramedics administered life-saving measures, the release states, and the elderly man was transported to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified the man as Daniel Maloney. The manner and cause of his death is pending, according to records from the office.
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Fire officials said in the release that smoke detectors were working in the home at the time of the fire.