Smoking may have caused fatal Berwyn house fire

(BERWYN) A man died Sunday during a fire at his west suburban home that may have been caused by careless smoking.

Someone walking in the 3800 block of Grove Avenue in Berwyn about 2:20 p.m. Sunday called 911 to report a house fire, Berwyn Fire Chief Denis O’Halloran said.

Firefighters arrived and found the entire two-story home on fire, with smoke blowing out the windows, he said.

The firefighters attacked the fire from the exterior, then went inside to search and found the victim on the first floor, O’Halloran said.

Kevin Jatczak, 54, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

An autopsy Monday found Jatczak died of inhalation of smoke and soot from the fire, but did not rule on manner of death

The second-floor tenant was not home at the time of the fire, and no one else was hurt.

O’Halloran said smoking has not been ruled out as a possible cause of the fire, which left the home a complete loss.