3 dead, 2 injured in late night Zion house fire
Three people are dead and two were hospitalized following a late night house fire in Zion.
Zion fire officials said three residents of the home on the 2900 of Enoch Avenue perished in the blaze that was reported just after 11:50 p.m. Tuesday. Another resident was transported to a hospital as was a neighbor who suffered smoke inhalation.
Wednesday afternoon, the Lake County coroner’s office identified the three victims as 58-year-old Scott Copen, 54-year-old Gina Copen and 41-year-old Cristal Copen. Autopsies showed all three “died as a result of thermal injuries and injuries consistent with the inhalation of products of combustion — smoke inhalation.”
Toxicology testing, including carbon monoxide levels, is pending and could take several weeks.
The home was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, officials said. The fire was aided by high winds.
More than a dozen neighboring agencies assisted Zion. Firefighters were on scene until 4:30 a.m.
The house is considered a total loss with damage estimated at more than $350,000.