***UPDATE***
Coroner Jamie Harwood has identified the deceased person as 46-year-old Laurie A. Helms. He pronounced the cause of death smoke inhalation.
It wasn’t immediately clear as to why she was at the house, as her last known address was in Canton.
Harwood said although toxicology reports are typically done in most instances of death, evidence found at the scene may shed more light on circumstances surrounding her death. He didn’t elaborate, other than to confirm there was some kind of paraphernalia located near the victim.
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PEORIA, Ill. — Investigators were searching Friday afternoon for clues as to what caused a deadly fire Friday morning on Peoria’s south side.
Peoria Firefighter/Paramedics rushed just after 8:00 to the 1900 block of S. Stanley St. on reports of a garage fire.
They found light smoke coming from the garage, with what they described as moderate fire inside it.
They were able to extinguish the blaze within three minutes, though they did encounter the obstacle of the main garage door’s being wired shut.
During a search for possible other hot spots, they found a person on a couch where the main part of the fire was.
That person was pronounced dead immediately.
Arson investigators and Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood were called to the scene.
Battalion Chief Ralph Phillips said he wasn’t able to release any more details about the victim or the fire because it was being investigated as a possible crime.
An autopsy was pending.
One other person occupied the home, Phillips said, but they did not appear to be injured.
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