An elderly Mundelein woman was found dead following a weekend fire at her residence, according to authorities.
She has not been formally identified, but Mundelein fire officials say she was apparently the resident of the house where the fire happened at 5:23 p.m. Sunday.
Fire officials said they were called to the house in the 1200 block of Huntington Drive for reports of a structure fire.
Firefighters said the two-story duplex was showing smoke upon arrival, but first responders were not able to access the second floor because of the heat and smoke, as well as hoarder conditions inside the home.
Mundelein fire officials said that they had to remove the front door by the hinges to gain entry because of all the material inside the home. Stacks as high as five feet were throughout the home, the fire department said.
After the blaze was extinguished, the woman’s body was found in a second-floor bedroom. Heat for the home was being provided by space heaters and propane-powered camping heaters.
The blaze remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office and local authorities.