Pekin Fire Chief Chuck Lauss said the fire department received the call at 3:58 a.m. and made it to the scene at 4:01 a.m.
The 12 firefighters on duty responded, with seven more being called in. On the way to the fire, they were informed that two people were inside, Lauss said.
"Upon our arrival, a man was already outside. He was taken to Pekin Hospital," he said. His condition is unknown.
When the firefighters got there, the fire was raging, with flames coming out of windows and doors. The men of Fire Station No. 2 were the first to make entry, Lauss said.
"We immediately went in and began search and rescue for the other resident. But the fire flashed over. We had to get everybody out and then get the fire under control, and then we went back in," Lauss said.
The flashover occurred around 4:05 a.m., and the fire was under control by 4:35 a.m., he said. No firefighters were injured.
Once the fire was under control, the second resident was found and taken out of the house. Pekin Chief of Police Tim Gillespie said the person who died in the fire was a woman.
The victim's name has not yet been released, pending notification of next of kin by Tazewell County Coroner Robert Dubois. An autopsy to determine cause of death was held this morning, said Chief Deputy Coroner Dennis Conover.
Although the structure is intact, the home suffered at least $20,000 in damage, with at least $10,000 damage to contents. "I'm almost certain (those figures) are going to go up," Lauss said.
The fire remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal's Office, the Pekin Fire Department, the Pekin Police Department and the Tazewell County Coroner's Office.
