Woman’s body found after fire extinguished in Mundelein

A woman’s body was found Sunday night following a fire in a Mundelein duplex, authorities said.

The fire on the 1200 block of Huntington Drive was reported by a neighbor about 5:25 p.m. Firefighters discovered the woman’s body in a second-floor bedroom after extinguishing the blaze.

Authorities did not release the victim’s identity but believe the remains were those of an older woman who lived in the home where the fire occurred.

An autopsy was conducted Monday by the Lake County coroner’s office. Preliminary results weren’t immediately available, as more tests needed to be done, officials said.

The unit was filled with piles of belongings in bins and bags as well as loose items, Fire Chief Bill Lark said. Some of the stacks were 5 feet high.

The clutter hampered firefighters’ efforts to enter and maneuver in the home, including accessing stairs to the second floor, according to a fire department news release.

The home didn’t have a working heating system, firefighters said. Electric, propane, and liquid-fuel heaters for camping were set up in the home and contributed to the fire, Lark said.

The cause wasn’t immediately known, however.

Mundelein firefighters and police are investigating, as is the Illinois State fire marshal. Foul play isn’t suspected.

Firefighters from departments throughout Lake County and northern Cook County assisted on the scene, including crews from Libertyville, the Countryside Fire Protection District, Lake Zurich, Buffalo Grove and Arlington Heights.