NORMAL, Ill. - Investigators now know the cause of a fire that killed a woman in Normal.
Back on August 6th, firefighters were called to the 1500 block of Hunt Drive.
That's where they found 68-year-old, Diana McLaren-Osburne, unresponsive near the kitchen doorway.
They say flammable materials near the stove likely caused the fire.
The smoke alarms within the affected unit were found to be not functional at the time of the fire.
Officials say the last time someone died in a house fire in Normal was 1991.
Here's what the Normal Fire Department wants you to know:
- Make sure that smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are functional at all times. Test them monthly, and if they are more than 10 years old, the entire detector should be replaced.
- At a minimum, there should be at least on smoke alarm on each level of the home, and one inside and outside sleeping rooms. Interconnected smoke alarms provide the best warning, because if one alarm goes off, they all go off.
- If anyone in the home smokes, ensure that all smoking materials are discarded properly and should be put out in water before disposing of it in the trash. Never smoke in bed or while drowsy.
- Make sure there are two ways out of every room used for sleeping and that everyone in the house goes to one meeting place outside if there is a fire. When firefighters arrive, let them know if anyone is missing.
- Never go back into a burning building for any reason. Get out and stay out!
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NORMAL, IL — The McLean County Coroner's office on Monday identified the woman killed in an early Sunday morning fire in Normal.
Coroner Kathy Davis said the woman is Diana McLaren-Osburne, 68.
Preliminary autopsy findings indicate she died from probable carbon monoxide intoxication due to inhaling smoke and soot caused by the fire that was reported just after midnight, said Davis.
Toxicology results are pending.
The cause of the blaze at 1538 Hunt Drive that heavily damaged McLaren-Osburne's condominium unit remains under investigation by the coroner's office and the Normal Fire Department.
"The investigators are still working their way through and certainly want to be as thorough as possible," said Normal Fire Department spokesman Matt Swaney. "We just don't have anything new to report as of yet."
A damage estimate has not been released. Signs were posted on three neighboring units that the building was unsafe for living. The Red Cross is assisting those who were displaced.
Checker Cab in Bloomington has been designated as a drop-off point to help assist those who lost belongings in the fire.
The fire was reported by neighbors, who saw smoke. Residents of the other units in the four-unit, two-story building were able to get out.
As firefighters entered the building, they discovered heavy smoke and fire inside one of the units where they found McLaren-Osburne unresponsive on the kitchen floor.
"Despite all efforts of the firefighters and the paramedics, the victim was unable to be resuscitated and was pronounced dead at the scene," NFD said on Sunday. She was pronounced dead at 1:09 a.m.
After the victim was removed from the condo, the roof collapsed, said NFD, and firefighters were forced to fight the fire from the outside. The blaze took about 1 hour, 15 minutes to bring under control, said the department.
Firefighters were able to rescue a dog from a second unit and a cat from a third.
The fire appears to have originated in the woman's unit and spread to the roof above it and to the adjacent units. There was heavy fire, smoke and water damage to the first unit and moderate water and smoke damage to two other units.
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Authorities: Smoke alarms non-functional in fatal Normal fire
By Tim Shelley
Updated: Aug 21, 2017 5:36 PM EST
NORMAL, Ill. (HOI) -- -
The smoke alarms didn't work in a Normal condominium where a 68-year-old woman died in a fatal fire earlier this month.
The Normal Fire Department said the alarms in Diana McLaren-Osburne's unit in the 1600 block of Hunt Drive did not work when a fire likely ignited on her stove top on August 6. Investigators believe the fire stated on the stove and eventually spread throughout the unit and eventually through the roof.
McLaren-Osburne were declared dead at the scene.
“The tragic loss of a life from a fire is something that every fire department fights so hard to prevent,” said Normal Fire Chief Mick Humer. “We want everyone to do whatever they can to protect their family from the danger of fire in the home.”
The fire marked the first time a Normalite died in a house fire since 1991, when a mobile home fire took the lives of a woman and her five-month-old granddaughter.
The Normal Fire Department said smoke and carbon monoxide alarms should be checked monthly, and replaced if they are more than 10 years old. There should be at least one smoke alarm on every floor of a house.
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One Dead Following Overnight Fire on Hunt Drive
Normal Fire Department (Normal, IL)·Sunday, August 6, 2017
NORMAL – The Normal Fire Department and Kathy Davis, the McLean County Coroner are releasing the following information in regards to the incident that occurred at 1538 Hunt Drive in Normal, IL early this morning.
Normal Fire Department responded to 1538 Hunt Drive, a four unit, two story condominium building, just after midnight for the report of a possible structure fire. Neighbors reported seeing smoke coming from the building and called 911.
First arriving engine companies initially reported heavy smoke conditions and upgraded the call to a second alarm which requests a Rapid Intervention Team from Bloomington Fire Department and pages in all off-duty Normal Fire personnel.
As firefighters advanced into the structure to fight the fire, heavy smoke and fire conditions were reported inside Unit C. Firefighters located an unresponsive subject lying on the floor in the kitchen of Unit C and removed them from the structure to receive medical attention. Despite all efforts of the firefighters and the paramedics, the victim was unable to be resuscitated and was pronounced dead at the scene.
McLean County Coroner’s Office personnel were notified at approximately 12:35 a.m. and responded to the scene. Pronounced deceased at 01:09 a.m. was a 68-year-old female. An autopsy is scheduled for later today, August 6, 2017. No further information is being released by the Coroner’s Office at this time pending notification of family.
Almost immediately after the victim was removed from the building, there was a collapse of the roof structure and firefighters were forced to evacuate the structure and fight the fire defensively from the exterior using hose lines and the aerial ladder truck. Once the fire was brought back under control, firefighters re-entered the structure to continue firefighting operations. The fire took about an hour and fifteen minutes to get completely under control, and firefighters continued overhauling the structure looking for hot spots for about another hour or so after that.
After primary firefighting operations were complete, firefighters were able to rescue one dog from Unit B, and a cat from Unit D. Both were given oxygen treatments at the scene and appeared to have no life threatening injuries. The occupants were advised to follow up with a veterinarian at their earliest convenience.
The fire appears to have originated in Unit C and spread to the roof above it and to the adjacent units. There was heavy fire, smoke, and water damage to unit C, and moderate water and smoke damage to units B and D. Unit A experienced smoke conditions and likely has damage from water and smoke as well. The entire building was deemed unsafe for anyone to remain following the fire and residents were staying with relatives for the night.
A full damage estimate is not available at this time. Insurance adjusters will be working at the scene later today once the fire investigation is complete.
Firefighters started clearing the scene after 3:30 this morning, but the aerial truck and reserve engine companies remained at the scene to assist the fire investigators as they work to determine the cause of the fire.