A woman in Athens, Illinois, lost her life to a house fire on Wednesday morning, June 10th. The Sangamon County Coroner, Jim Allmon, named Carolyn Coffman, a 69-year-old woman, as the victim.
In the fire accident report, the coroner said the woman was pronounced dead at the Memorial Medical Center. The medics took her there after the Athens Fire Department firefighters pulled her from the flames. The incident occurred at 9 a.m. in the 500-block of Coneflower Drive.
Have you or a loved one been involved in an accident? Speak to a lawyer for a free no obligation consultation
Or call us at (888) 699-7975
An autopsy into the primary cause of Coffman’s death will take place on Thursday morning, June 11th. The coroner’s office is handling the autopsy while the State Fire Marshal Office is investigating the cause of the fire.
Fires are deadly, destructive, and frightening, but most deaths and injuries resulting from it are preventable. Thus, homeowners and residents must follow safety tips to prevent an inferno in their houses. Install smoke detectors and check them regularly to ensure they are functioning.
Have a home map and make a fire escape plan for when there’s an outbreak. Replace frayed electrical wires with new ones, don’t run cords under rugs, replace appliances that smoke or give off unusual odors when in use, and avoid overloading electrical outlets.
Keep matches, lighters, and other inflammable away from the reach of children, exercise care when cooking with stoves or hot plates, and avoid careless smoking at home. Place heaters away from flammable materials, and when there’s a fire outbreak, get help immediately by dialing 911.
Disclaimer: The Safety Watch article you just read includes information obtained from numerous sources. These sources include, but are not limited to, websites and press releases from law enforcement, the county coroner, fire departments, and other news outlets. While we strive to provide readers with the most accurate information, sometimes the information received is not entirely accurate. For complete details, please refer to an official police report.
The articles published contain sensitive subject matter that may be hard to read by some. We understand that losing a loved one is hard and devastating. Safety Watch’s decision to share the stories is to help others who may be facing the same situations by providing appropriate resources to the general public.