Careless use of smoking materials caused fire at South Side home, where woman found dead: CFD​on April 3, 2025 at 1:17 am

CHICAGO (WLS) — Careless use of smoking materials caused a fire in which an 88-year-old woman was found dead Tuesday, Chicago fire officials said Wednesday.

Chopper 7 was over the scene near South Lowe Avenue and West 94th Street in the city’s Washington Heights neighborhood Tuesday evening.

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Firefighters were responding to a fire there, and an 88-year-old woman was found unresponsive in the living room, police said. The victim, who had suffered burns to her body, was pronounced dead on the scene.

Her identity has not yet been released.

Investigators are still trying to determine exactly how she died.

Chicago fire crews passed out fire safety materials in the area Wednesday morning, and reminded residents to have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.