Tazewell County coroner Dennis Conover pronounced an unidentified female dead at 12:25 p.m. today at 112 Richards Court in East Peoria.
According to Conover, his office was summoned to the residence at 11:42 a.m.
A 45-year old female named Laura J. Youngman lives alone at that residence.
Conover said until DNA or other points of identification are made through his office, the victim will remain unnamed. An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow and an inquest will be slated later.
At 4 p.m. Friday, the East Peoria Fire Department was still at the scene of the fire.
Assistant chief and fire marshal John Knapp said the fire call came in at 11:26 a.m.
“There were visible flames when the guys got here coming from the front of the house,” Knapp said.
The home is in a single-family residential neighborhood.
The fire department had the fire under control in 10 minutes, but the investigation will take much longer.
“We’ve got a lot of fact gathering to do when someone perishes in a fire,” Knapp said. “We will be in investigating mode the better part of today and possibly into tomorrow. With a fatality, we have to slow down and make sure we’re as thorough as possible.”
Knapp said the entire house has pretty extensive fire damage. Conover added the concrete block residence was burned throughout inside with little evidence of fire outside the house.
The East Peoria Fire Department was assisted by East Peoria police investigators and by mutual aide to handle any other calls while they dealt with the fire.
The state fire marshal was also called to the scene.
