Man, 67, killed in Wheaton house fire

A man was found dead after a fire Saturday morning at his west suburban Wheaton home.

About 8:30 a.m. a fire was reported at a home in the 1000 block of South Gables Boulevard, where Wheaton Fire Department firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the roof of the home, according to a statement from the Wheaton Police Department. Firefighters extinguished a fire in the living room area within minutes.

A resident of the home, 67-year-old Joseph Shimkus, was found dead inside, police said. His death was believed to be caused by smoke inhalation, but an official cause of death is pending an examination by the DuPage County Coroner’s Office.

According to authorities, firefighting operations were hampered by excessive storage in the residence and several area fire departments assisted in battling the blaze.

No other injuries were immediately reported and damage estimates were not available, authorities said.