Coroner IDs Men Killed In House Fire

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — Two men killed in a house fire in Union have been identified as Eric Dettmer, 73, and Mark Dodge, 71.

An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday for Dettmer, of Union, and Dodge, of Campbell, NY, according to a news release from the McHenry County Coroner's Office.

Their bodies were found in a home in the 9600 block of Knolltop Road in unincorporated Union after a passerby reported the house fire at about 4:10 a.m., according to authorities. The Marengo Fire & Rescue District and Union Fire Protection District — as well as 15 neighboring agencies — responded to the blaze, which was brought under control within 25 minutes.

Firefighters also found a dog and cat dead inside according to the news release from the Marengo Fire Protection District. All were pronounced dead at the scene, according to fire officials.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, Marengo Fire & Rescue Districts, Union Fire Protection District and the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.