Rochelle Man Identified In Fatal House Fire; One Woman Injured

ROCHELLE — Ogle County and state officials are investigating a house fire near Rochelle that killed an 84-year-old man and injured one woman. Deputies and the Rochelle Fire Department responded just after 2 a.m. Sunday to a home in the 8000 block of South Thorpe Road where the second story was fully engulfed in flames when crews arrived and one man was reportedly inside. The Ogle County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as James E. Supancic who was found deceased inside the home. A woman suffered burns that were not considered life threatening and was taken to Rochelle Community Hospital before being transferred to a Rockford area hospital. Firefighters from Rochelle and 12 other departments worked to extinguish the fire with assistance from Ogle County Emergency Management and Ogle County Animal Control. The cause remains under investigation, however the preliminary findings indicate the fire may have stemmed from a supplemental heat source.