Palatine fatal fire victim identified

A woman died today after fire broke out in a home on the 1100 block of West Mallard in Palatine.

The victim, identified as 58-year-old Joann Joyce, was unable to be resuscitated after firefighters found her in the home’s smoke-filled basement laundry room.

Palatine firefighters said they responded to the house at 11:51 a.m. after someone who lived with the victim reported seeing and smelling smoke but could not get in the house.

The woman reported that as she was returning home, the garage door would not open and the front door was locked. She heard the smoke detector sounding inside, and had a neighbor call 911. The caller told authorities there was a woman in a second-floor bedroom, authorities said.

When crews arrived on the scene five minutes later, they forced entry into the house, but didn’t find fire or occupants during a search of the first and second floors.

Crews then went to the basement, where they encountered heavy smoke and fire damage, but no fire. It was there they located Joyce while searching with a thermal imaging camera.

“It was still hot, but the fire had put itself out,” Palatine Deputy Fire Chief Scott Andersen said.

Joyce was removed from the house, but efforts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful, fire officials said. She was transported to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights and pronounced dead.

A total of 23 Palatine firefighters worked on the scene, assisted by fire crews from Palatine Rural, Rolling Meadows and Arlington Heights fire departments.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Palatine Fire Department Investigative Team, Palatine police and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.