Two people, including a 5-year-old boy, were killed and two others injured in a deadly house fire in far southwest suburban Minooka early Friday, authorities said.
The fire broke out around 12:45 a.m. in a home in the 24500 block of South Bell Road, according to Fire Chief John Petrakis with the Channahon Fire Protection District.
“What makes it difficult is the recent snow we had. It wasn’t well maintained coming into the driveway area and around the house. That made it challenging for positioning and deployment of hose and equipment in and around the house," Petrakis said.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene and three people were taken to Morris Hospital following the blaze, one of whom was later pronounced dead.
The Will County Coroner’s office identified 5-year-old Waveland Fitch, of Minooka, as one of the victims. The coroner’s office said the child’s body was recovered from inside the home, but the cause and manner of death would be determined in an autopsy Friday.
Also among the victims was 57-year-old Susan Weber, who was pronounced dead at Morris Hospital, according to the Grundy County Coroner.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. An investigation remained ongoing, authorities said.
