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Two die in Beloit Township house fire

Photo

Photo by Bill Olmsted

Two people were killed in an overnight fire at 2474 Dewey St. in the Town of Beloit.

BELOIT TOWNSHIP — The state fire marshal is investigating an overnight fire that killed a 70-year-old couple in their Beloit Township home.

Carol J. Brom and Paul A. Brom died after fire was reported at 11:20 p.m. Wednesday at 2474 S. Dewey Ave., according to town of Beloit police.

The couple had lived at the tri-level home at the corner of Dewey Avenue and Crystal Lane for almost 50 years, town of Beloit police Detective Christopher Luzinski said.

No cause or origin had been determined this morning, and a damage estimate was not available.

A state fire marshal arrived at the scene at about 8 a.m. today. Officials speculated the origin might have been in the basement because that’s where firefighters saw most of the flames.

Nothing suggests the fire is suspicious, said Rich Tippelt, public information officer of the Town of Beloit Fire Department.

Steve Schmoldt grew up across the street from the Broms and heard sirens after his family went to bed. Smoke was billowing from the front windows, and a police officer who was first on the scene kicked in the front door, he said.

The officer got two steps into the home before firefighters arrived, but thick smoke drove her back out, Tippelt said. The officer was evaluated on the scene for smoke inhalation, he said.

When firefighters arrived, smoke was pouring out of “pretty much everywhere of the house,” Tippelt said. Crews entered the home to perform search and rescue and found a victim in an upstairs bedroom, he said.

Fire Chief Dennis Ahrens said Carol Brom was taken to Beloit Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Heavy fire, smoke and unsafe conditions drove fire crews from inside the home, forcing them to fight the blaze from outside, Tippelt said.

“That hampered our rescue efforts for the second victim,” he said.

After the fire was knocked down, crews entered the home to find a deceased victim in a different room, he said.

Neighbors said the Broms had recently remodeled their home because of water damage from an air conditioner.

“They’re the nicest people. Great neighbors,” Schmoldt said.

Paul Brom was a retired salesman. His wife was a stay-at-home mom, he said.

The home still stands, but everything inside was damaged by heat, smoke or water, Tippelt said.

He described the house as a “major loss.”

City of Beloit, Orfordville and town of Turtle fire departments assisted the town of Beloit department.