66-year-old man killed in Evanston fire

SHARE 66-year-old man killed in Evanston fire
screen_shot_2018_01_23_at_1_51_48_pm.png

A man died after a fire Tuesday morning in the 1300 block of Oakton Street in Evanston. | Evanston Fire Department

A 66-year-old man was killed in a fire Tuesday morning in north suburban Evanston.

Crews responded at 5:04 a.m. to the fire at a three-story, two-unit home in the 1300 block of Oakton Street in Evanston, according to the Evanston Fire Department. Crews arrived to see heavy smoke coming from the rear of the building and forced entry to find heavy fire on the third floor.

They extinguished the fire and found Norbert Kouba in a bedroom adjacent to the room the fire was in, according to the fire department and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. Kouba, who lived in the unit, was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy Wednesday did not rule on the cause and manner of his death pending further investigation, according to the medical examiner’s office.

Two people who lived in the unit encompassing the first two floors of the building made it out safely, the fire department said. Working smoke detectors helped alert them to the fire.

One firefighter suffered an injury to his lower extremities and was in good condition, the fire department said. He was taken to Evanston Hospital, where he was treated and released.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

The Latest
Despite getting into foul trouble, which limited him to just six minutes in the second half, Shannon finished with 29 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Cowboy hats, bell-bottoms and boots were on full display Thursday night as fans lined up for the first of his three sold-out shows.
The incident occurred about 3:40 p.m. near Minooka. The horse was successfully placed back into the trailer, and the highway reopened about 40 minutes later. No injuries were reported.
The Hawks conceded the game’s only two goals within the first seven minutes and were shut out for the 12th time this season in a 2-0 defeat Thursday.