Excerpts from abc7chicago.com:
McHenry Fire Chief Steve Spraker said a fire started around 12:07 a.m. Thursday 11/4/21 and was contained inside a single unit in a two-story complex in the 800-block of North Southgate Street.
The 77-year-old victim was sitting in the living room lighting a cigarette when he accidentally dropped it and the couch caught fire. His 70-year-old wife managed to escape the flames and was treated on the scene for minor smoke inhalation, but her husband, who is visually impaired, was unable to make it out.
Two of the other units in the building have been deemed uninhabitable by the city.
The McHenry Police Department, McHenry Township Fire Protection District, and the Illinois State Fire Marshall’s Office continue to investigate.
