Man dies in ‘suspicious’ fire, police investigating

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Updated: January 14, 2012 11:58PM

A Saturday morning fire that claimed the life of a 60-year-old man on the Southwest Side was believed to be suspicious and the investigation has been turned over to police, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

The man — identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office as James Maca, 60 — had been seen at the window of the two-story building at 4246 W. 63rd St. calling for help, after a fire started about 4:40 a.m., according to Fire Media Affairs.

When firefighters located him though, after he had gone away from the window, he was very close to the door of his apartment, and had apparently succumbed to the smoke, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said.

There were two apartments in the building, both on the second floor, one in the front, the other in the rear, Langford said. The fire was in the rear apartment, which is occupied, but no one was in that apartment at the time, he said. Smoke from the fire traveled down the hallway that runs between the two apartments, Langford said.

It is believed that the man who died in the fire succumbed to smoke inhalation.

Smoke detectors in the building were working.

The man was taken to Holy Cross Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The Office of Fire Investigations found the blaze to be suspicious in nature and the investigation has been turned over to the Chicago Police Dept. Bomb and Arson Unit, according to Fire Media.