SALINE CO., Ill.—Saline County Coroner Jerry Watson has made a positive ID in the case of the person who was the victim of an apartment complex fire last night in the city of Eldorado.
The identity has been confirmed to be that of Donnie Baker Jr., 64, a wheelchair-bound resident of one of the apartments located on Third Street in Eldorado, where a fire broke out last night at about 7 p.m.
Watson held a post-mortem investigation into the body that was recovered from the scene, this at 1 p.m. today. He has not declared a cause of death; however, he has stated that he doesn’t believe foul play was involved.
Baker was well-liked in the neighborhood, and since the time we were at the fire last night and throughout the day today, those who knew him have been filling us in on what kind of a guy he was. He called all the neighborhood kids his “grandkids,” and even, in one instance, purchased a full round of Christmas presents for one family nearby.
Neighbors also told us that Baker smoked and would often use the gas stove top to light his cigarettes; there have been numerous calls to the gas company over one issue or another in his apartment, they’d stated, but whether or not this had anything to do with the fire remains unknown at this time.
An Illinois Fire Marshal arrived at the scene last night and is currently examining the blaze that took Baker’s life. Results may come later rather than sooner; keep watching for updates.
Fire Marshal arriving from Marion last night.