Woman found dead after South Shore apartment fire identified

A woman was found dead after a fire Wednesday night in the South Shore neighborhood.

Firefighters responded to a fire on the third floor of an apartment building about 7:45 p.m. in the 7600 block of South Essex Avenue, according to Chicago Police.

After the fire was put out, a woman was found unresponsive and pronounced dead, according to police and the Chicago Fire Department.

She was identified as 58-year-old Therese Chenault, who lived in the same block, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said. An autopsy Thursday did not rule on the cause and manner of her death pending further investigation.

The cause of the fire was under investigation but it did not appear to be suspicious, CFD spokesman Larry Merritt said. It may have been caused by oxygen equipment which firefighters found in the home.

Smoke detectors in the building were working properly, the fire department said.