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One of the victims lost her husband last year, according to a neighbor
NEED TO KNOW
- Two sisters-in-law have died after they were pulled from a house fire in Illinois during the early morning hours of Feb. 23, according to police
- The victims have been identified as 65-year-old Susan Palos and 63-year-old Maricarmen Wilkerson
- Northlake Police Chief Ken Beres said the fire posed “challenges” for responding firefighters, who issued a “mayday” call at one point
Two women have died after they were trapped in a house fire in Illinois.
The blaze on West Drive in Northlake was reported to police at about 1:25 a.m. local time on Monday, Feb. 23, according to a news release from the Northlake Police Department (NPD).
Police said officers who responded to the scene found the house “fully engulfed in flames.” Fire personnel later found two adult women inside the residence and removed them.
Northlake Police Chief Ken Beres said both women “were unconscious but breathing at the time” they were pulled from the burning building, according to NBC affiliate WMAQ.
A resident of the home, 65-year-old Susan Palos, was transported to Loyola Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, according to the NPD.
Palos’ family member, 63-year-old Maricarmen Wilkerson, of Chicago, was transported to Gottlieb Hospital, where she also died.
Police said the women were sisters-in-law, according to ABC affiliate WLS. Friends and neighbors described Palos as a sweet person who some considered a second mom.
One neighbor, Charmaine Miles, said Palos’ husband died last year. “She's had a lot to deal with,” Miles told WLS.
Another neighbor, Christopher Pederson, said Palos was close with him and his family, but “especially my mom.”
“They go to church together at Saint John Vianney,” Pederson said, per WLS. “It's just heartbreaking.”
Beres said the fire posed “challenges” for responding firefighters, including some who were rescued from the second floor after issuing a “mayday” call, according to WGN.
Pederson said the property “was full of smoke” when he reached the scene, per WLS. “You couldn't see a foot in front of you if you were lucky,” he added.
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No one else was inside the home at the time of the fire, according to the NPD. An investigation into the blaze is ongoing, they added.