Nov. 15--A house fire that erupted in a Northbrook home early Sunday left a man and his pet cat dead, fire officials said.
About 1:15 a.m., firefighters were notified of a structure fire on the 1300 block of Edgewood Lane, according to Northbrook Fire Chief Jose Torres.
The man was identified as Lawrence Costello, 74, by the Cook County medical examiner's office. An autopsy is expected Monday.
When firefighters arrived, they reported a "well involved" fire in a single-family home, Torres said. The fire was "very visible" with a lot of flames and smoke coming from the windows and roof of the ranch-style home.
Firefighters had reports that there was a trapped individual, and initial companies went into a search-and-rescue and fire attack modes, Torres said.
Costello was found during the search in the home, Torres said. The man was found in a family room area toward the back of the home, near a fireplace.
Costello's wife was able to get out by the time firefighters arrived, according to Torres.
A pet cat died in the fire.
The house was deemed uninhabitable, Torres said. "It was a pretty significant fire," he said.
At this point "there is no suspicion of foul play," Torres said. "It's a very unfortunate circumstance for this family. ... It's a tragedy."
