BARTONVILLE, Ill. (AP) – Authorities say a 4-year-old boy was found dead after a house fire near Peoria.
The Peoria County coroner says the body of John Bankes III was found inside the house after the fire that was reported about noon Tuesday in the village of Bartonville. Thick black smoke poured from the windows of the one-story house as firefighters worked to put out the blaze.
The (Peoria) Journal Star reports state fire investigators were at the scene to assist in determining the fire’s cause.
Coroner Jamie Harwood says the boy’s father suffered burns but didn’t know the seriousness of his injuries.