One year later: Cause of Des Plaines fire that killed mother, 4 daughters revealed

A mother and her four young daughters died in a fire in January 2021 in a building on the 700 block of West Oakton Street in Des Plaines. | Des Plaines Fire Department

A blaze that killed a Des Plaines woman and her four children one year ago was caused by two electrical cords that had been improperly altered and connected, a local fire official said Wednesday.

One cord was part of a space heater that had been the focus of the investigation from the start, said Division Chief Dave Schuman of Des Plaines’ fire prevention bureau. The other was a heavy-duty extension cord plugged into a wall outlet.