Man found dead one day after Round Lake fire

A man was found dead inside his apartment the day after a fire ravaged the building in north suburban Round Lake.

At 4:14 p.m. Friday, crews responded to a fire in the 200 block of north Cedar Lake Road in Round Lake, according to the Lake County coroner’s office.

Firefighters saw light smoke and entered the building with plans of an interior attack, according to the coroner’s office. However, conditions worsened rapidly and crews were pulled out of the building for a defensive attack.

The fire was extinguished more than three hours later, at 7:28 p.m. The cause remains under investigation.

The next morning, the Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District returned to evaluate the structural integrity of the building and found the body in one of the second-floor apartments, according to the statement.

He was identified as 33-year-old Aric McClure, who lived in the apartment, according to the coroner’s office. He died from smoke and soot inhalation due to the fire.