Update: Fatal House Fire Apparently Caused By Candle

JOLIET, IL — A candle apparently sparked the Saturday night house fire that claimed two lives on the city’s far west side.

Besides the body of a dead man and a woman who later died at the Presence St. Joseph Medical Center emergency room, firefighters found numerous candles in the burned house on Sun Valley Court, said Joliet Police Chief Brian Benton.

The fire “appears as though it was accidental, that it occurred as a result of some candles,” Benton said.

The dead man and woman were both in their early 60s.

A person living in the basement of the house smelled smoke about 10:30 p.m. and escaped from the burning residence through a window, Benton said. After he got out of the house, the resident called the fire department.

The identities of the dead man and woman were being withheld Sunday morning pending the notification of their next of kin. Autopsies were scheduled for Monday.