Third child dies in Carpentersville fire
Carpentersville Village President John Skillman said on Monday that “the village is heartbroken by the tragedy” of losing three toddlers in a fire Sunday morning.
He spoke at a news conference Monday afternoon alongside the police and fire chiefs, giving a few new details.
The children’s names have not been released. Kane County Coroner Monica Silva, who is conducting autopsies on two of them who were pronounced dead at the scene, said she is still confirming identities.
The third child, a 2-year-old boy identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s office as Kayden Corsello, died early Monday at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.
The children’s grandmother told ABC 7 Chicago that Kayden’s twin brother Jayden and 1-year-old brother Xander perished before firefighters could get to them.
No cause yet
The cause of the fire, which started on the lower level of the raised ranch house, has not been determined.
Fire Chief Bill Anaszewicz said it could take several weeks to do so. The Kane County Arson Task Force and the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office are involved in the investigation.
Anaszewicz said the house was a rental property, and when it was last inspected in 2021, its smoke detectors were working.
He said there was about $350,000 worth of damage to the house and its contents.
“But as we all know, the loss of life is priceless,” Anaszewicz said.
There were four adults in the home at the time: the child’s father, the children’s grandmother, her boyfriend and a friend of the grandmother, according to Anaszewicz.
Several of the adults tried to help rescue the children, he said. They suffered smoke inhalation, and one was taken to Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin for treatment.
Police Chief Todd Shaver said that anyone with information about the fire should call investigators at (847) 551-3481.
The fire was reported at 9:34 a.m. Sunday in a raised ranch house in the 1700 block of Kingston.
The fire chief confirmed the children lived in the basement.
Community support
Neighbors planned to have a prayer vigil Monday evening at the house, according to social media posts.
People are raising money to help the family, including with a GoFundMe.com fundraising page.
Duke Seward, owner of Duke’s Blues and BBQ, is also collecting donations through his Taste of Love not-for-profit organization. Seward said 100% of the proceeds will go to the family.
“Everybody is just trying to figure out what do to,” he said. He is using the hashtag #threelittlebirds.
Normally, Taste the Love donates to happier causes, such as scholarships, he said.
“This is a bittersweet one,” Seward said.
The four-bedroom house was built in 1969, according to Dundee Township assessor’s records. It is owned by a real estate corporation based in Inverness.