Woman who died in Lockport apartment fire identified

The identity of a 79-year-old woman who perished in a fire Tuesday at a two-story apartment building in Lockport has been released.

The woman was identified Friday as Mary Lou Arnold by Lockport Police. Her identity had originally been withheld by the coroner’s office so the family could be notified.

According to Lockport Deputy Police Chief Ron Huff, Arnold’s primary cause of death was smoke inhalation.

A preliminary autopsy revealed the woman had multiple burn injuries on her body, according to the Will County Coroner’s Office.

The woman was found by firefighters who responded to the fire about 8:30 p.m. in the 1100 block of Division Street in Lockport, according to a statement from the Lockport Township Fire Protection District.

The woman was “unresponsive” and quickly moved to an ambulance.

She was taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox and pronounced dead about 9:05 p.m. Tuesday, according to the coroner’s office.

Other people inside the building were able to leave with no additional injuries reported, according to Lockport Township fire officials.

“While the fire was contained to a single unit, the other occupants were unable to stay in the building due to smoke damage,” fire officials said.

The fire is under investigation by the Lockport Police Department and the Lockport Township Fire Protection District.