Lightning Leads To Deadly Joliet House Fire: WGN

Joliet IL

28 July, 2021

3:00 PM

Description

JOLIET, IL — East Joliet's Fire Protection District battled a house fire Wednesday morning in the 700 block of Miami Street, and firefighters later the discovered the body of 85-year-old Joliet Township resident Raymond Ziegler. WGN reported that a lightning strike caused the deadly fire. He was found in the bathroom and the Will County Coroner's Office said he was pronounced dead at 8:05 a.m. Ziegler died from smoke inhalation and lived at the residence, according to fire chief Kirk Kelly. The fire was reported around 6:15 a.m. The Will County Sheriff's Department got to the scene first, and authorities were told that someone was still inside the burning house. "Crews began to make entry for primary search and extinguishment but were met with many obstacles inside, compromising the operation," Kelly stated in Wednesday's news release. He said the East Joliet firefighters got the fire under control and a secondary search took place. At that time, firefighters found the dead homeowner in the bathroom. Mutual aid was provided from Lockport, New Lenox, Elwood and Manhattan.. Wednesday's deadly fire marks the second in Joliet so far this summer. On June 24, Joliet Patch reported that 57-year-old Yvette A. Easterling died in an overnight house at 816 Black Road. Image via Google Maps