Woman dies after Downers Grove house fire

A 35-year-old woman died of smoke inhalation after a house fire early Saturday in west suburban Downers Grove.

Crews were called at 4 a.m. for the fire in the two-story, single-family home in the 4000 block of Washington Street, according to a statement from the Downers Grove Fire Department. They arrived to find thick smoke and fire showing on two sides of the house.

A neighbor was trying to help a resident trapped at a second-floor window when emergency crews arrived, fire officials said. Firefighters entered the home, but were not able to take the person down the stairs because of the intensity of the fire. They instead performed a rescue from a window.

Three people were taken from the scene to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, according to the department.

Robyn Rauch, 35, was transferred to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where she died at 11:32 p.m. Saturday, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

An autopsy Monday found Rauch died of complications of inhalation of products of combustion, and her death was ruled an accident, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The other two victims were treated and released from Good Samaritan, police said. No firefighters were injured.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation as of Monday afternoon, according to police.