'Smoking Materials' Likely Cause of Fatal March Fire

Investigators have not determined the exact cause a fatal March fire on James Lane but they said the origin of the flames was near a chair in the home's family room.

It was that very chair where . Earlier this week, Dupage County Coroner Pete Siekmann ruled that Studin's death was "due to natural causes and not as a result of the fire."

Her husband, Anthony Studin, was critically burned in and is in recovery at an area hospital, Naperville Deputy Fire Chief Rick Sander said Wednesday evening in a written statement.

The in the wood-frame, two-story home at 240 James Lane.

"The first arriving unit reported heavy flames coming from the rear of the home with heavy smoke throughout," according to a news release sent that day. "While advancing a hose line to extinguish the fire, the crews immediately began a search for the reported occupant. Additional arriving fire units expanded the search and fire attack. All companies experienced heavy smoke, high heat and found extensive fire damage to the structure of the building."'

Scott Whitsitt, a neighbor who lives next door to the pair, called 911 that day when he heard windows of the home breaking and smoke billowing from the first-floor windows, he said at the scene.

Studin's body sustained sufficient burns, fire officials have said, and she was pronounced dead on the scene.

Department investigators said the probable cause of the fire was, "smoking materials," The fire is listed as accidental and the exact cause remains undetermined, Sander said.

Naperville Patch Local Editor Mary Ann Lopez contributed to this report.