By Howard Packowitz
NORMAL – Smoke alarms in a fatal condo fire earlier this month were not working, according to Normal fire investigators.
The August 6th fire in a condominium at 1538 Hunt Drive in Normal killed 68-year old Diana McLaren-Osburne, who is the first person to die in a fire in Normal in more than a quarter-century.
In a statement issued late Monday afternoon, the fire department also revealed the fire’s cause. Investigators said the fire started in the kitchen and that open flame ignition of combustible materials near the stove top started the blaze.
Authorities said flames extended into the cabinets and eventually burned through the ceiling and to the roof.
Firefighters found McLaren-Osburne near the kitchen door. They tried unsuccessfully to revive her. She is believed to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
The fire department said the tragedy serves as a reminder for people to test their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms monthly, and they should be replaced if they’re more than 10-years old.
Firefighters said there should be at least one smoke alarm on each level of the home, one inside and outside of bedrooms. And, the fire department said smoke alarms should be interconnected because all alarms will be sounded when a single detector discovers smoke.
The last fatal fire in Normal happened in 1991 when flames swept through a mobile home, killing a woman and her five-month old granddaughter.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at Howard.Packowitz@cumulus.com
