3rd child dies in Carpentersville house fire; authorities, community seek answers

Carpentersville President John Skillman said on Monday that “the village is heartbroken by the tragedy” of losing three toddlers in a fire Sunday morning.

He spoke at a news conference Monday afternoon alongside the police and fire chiefs, giving a few new details.

The children’s names have not been released. Kane County Coroner Monica Silva, who is conducting autopsies on two of them who were pronounced dead at the scene, said she is still confirming identities. The third child, a 2-year-old boy, died early Monday at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

No cause yet

The cause of the fire, which started in the lower level of the raised-ranch house, has not been determined.

Fire Chief Bill Anaszewicz said it could take several weeks to do so. The Kane County Arson Task Force and the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office are involved in the investigation.

Anaszewicz said the house was a rental property, and when it was last inspected in 2021, its smoke detectors were working.

He said there was about $350,000 worth of damage to the house and its contents.

“But as we all know, the loss of life is priceless,” Anaszewicz said.

There were four adults in the home at the time: the child’s father, the children’s grandmother, her boyfriend and a friend of the grandmother, according to Anaszewicz.

Several of the adults tried to help rescue the children, he said. They suffered smoke inhalation, and one was taken to Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin for treatment.

Police Chief Todd Shaver said that anyone with information about the fire should call investigators at (847) 551-3481.

The fire was reported at 9:34 a.m. Sunday in a raised-ranch house in the 1700 block of Kingston.

The fire chief confirmed the children lived in the basement.

Community support

Neighbors planned to have a prayer vigil Monday evening at the house, according to social media posts.

People are also raising money to help the family, including via a GoFundMe.com fund-raising page.

Duke Seward, owner of Duke’s Blues and BBQ, is also collecting donations through his Taste of Love not-for-profit organization. Seward said 100% of proceeds will go to the family.

“Everybody is just trying to figure out what do to,” he said. He is using the hashtag #threelittlebirds.

Normally, Taste the Love donates to happier causes, such as scholarships, he said.

“This is a bittersweet one,” Seward said.

The four-bedroom house was built in 1969, according to Dundee Township assessor’s records. It is owned by a real-estate corporation based in Inverness.

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