Evanston Man, 87, Dies In Brummel Street House Fire

Editor's note: An Evanston Fire Department spokesperson said the department's initial report that the home's late occupant and his wife were both arriving home to find the house on fire was incorrect. Patch has updated the story to reflect the correction.

EVANSTON, IL — Fire officials said an 87-year-old man died Thursday after his wife returned home from shopping to find their house on fire.

Fire crews were called to the 1500 block of Brummel Street around noon for a report that a man was trapped in his burning house. Arriving fire fighters found heavy black smoke coming from the basement.

Division Chief Kim Kull said firefighters found the man at the bottom of the stairs to the basement, where there was a fair amount of visible flames.

Rescuers took him to an area emergency room in critical condition and provided life-saving interventions, Kull said, but he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the ER.

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Fire officials called in assistance from neighboring agencies to assist with the fire and to cover the rest of town.

A fire investigator was called to the scene and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Kull said the fire was fully extinguished within about 45 minutes, including clearing out the walls to ensure there were no remaining hot spots.

On Friday, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as Daniel Maloney and listed him as 86 years old. An autopsy is planned to determine his cause of death.