Firefighters struggled with a frozen fire hydrant while battling the blaze Friday evening inside a home inthe 6000-block of North Onarga. The fire was in a bedroom on the first floor, officials said.
The woman, who suffered from smoke inhalation, initially was taken to the hospital in critical conditionl. She was pronounced dead at 4:23 a.m. Saturday at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. Her name was not being released pending family notification.
No one else was injured.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
A fire department spokesperson said firefighters would canvas the neighborhood Saturday afteroon to distribute free smoke detectors and safety information.
(The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report. - Copyright Chicago Sun-Times 2011.)
