The McHenry County Coroner said that Aaron Argullin, 70, of Crystal Lake, died from smoke and soot inhalation and blunt force trauma to his spine during a house fire on Monday.
The Crystal Lake Fire Department was called to the 600 block of Sussex Lane just after 4 p.m. Monday for a report of a house fire.
Crystal Lake Deputy Fire Chief Chris Olsen said that a Crystal Lake Park District police officer was passing by the home and saw the fire. Fire crews found a fire on the south side of the home and worked to extinguish it.
Firefighters found Argullin unresponsive inside the home near the front door. He was removed and transported to Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital where he was pronounced dead just before 5 p.m. Two police officers were treated at the scene for minor smoke inhalation.
A dog was also found in the home and transported to a local animal hospital where it’s expected to recover. No firefighters were injured during the fire and damage was estimated at $80,000.
On Tuesday, McHenry County Coroner Dr. Anne Majewski said that an autopsy showed that Argullin had smoke and soot inhalation and blunt force trauma to his cervical spine. However, no foul play was suspected at this time, Majewski added.
The house is uninhabitable and numerous fire and police investigators were called to the scene, including investigators from the Crystal Lake Fire Department, Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District, Illinois State Fire Marshal and Crystal Lake Police Department.
Officials did not say what caused the fire, which remains under investigation. A final cause and manner of death is pending additional studies, the coroner added.