Mother, 88, and son, 70, found dead in apartment fire in Old Irving Park

An apartment fire in Old Irving Park that left an 88-year-old mother and her son dead early Tuesday was likely caused by smoking materials tossed in a bin, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

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Firefighters extinguished the blaze in the 3600 block of North Kedvale Avenue and found the home cluttered with items that made it difficult to search, fire department spokesperson Larry Langford said.

The mother and son were found after 2:30 a.m. on the first floor and pronounced dead at the scene, he said.

They were identified as Marian Frieri, 88, and Michael Frieri, 70, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. An autopsy released Wednesday determined both died of carbon monoxide inhalation. Their deaths were ruled accidents.

The building had been without heat for a while and space heaters were being used in the house, Langford said. The mother and son were the only occupants of the building.

An initial investigation found that the likely cause was “careless use of smoking materials” discarded in a bin, he said.

After the fire, firefighters and Ald. James Gardiner (45th) canvassed the block to pass out smoke detectors.