Man found dead in attic after house fire in Evanston identified

Man found dead in attic after house fire in Evanston identified Advertisement Updated: 9:39 AM EST Nov 10, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Brian Hamrick Reporter Man found dead in attic after house fire in Evanston identified Updated: 9:39 AM EST Nov 10, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Brian Hamrick Reporter CINCINNATI — One person is dead and another was rescued after a house fire in Evanston. It happened around 4:47 a.m. when crews responded the 300 block of Bevis Avenue for a working fire, according to Chief Frank McKinley. Advertisement WLWT When crews responded to the home, they were told by people on the porch that no one was inside. McKinley says crews later saw smoke coming from the third floor. They then found a victim on the third floor attic space who had died. The victim has been identified by family as 66-year-old Cecil Collins, who lived in the home with his mother, who is in her 90s. His nephew, Michael Collins, shared how much Cecil meant to their family. "My dad passed away when I was 12, so my uncle did a lot to make sure I was good," Michael Collins said. "I was able to thrive in life because my uncle was supportive. He was always there. He was there with me, my sister, my nephews, my niece. He was a good uncle." Michael Collins reflected on the impact his uncle had on their family. "He set the bar on how to be a fun uncle. How to make sure you stay there for your family, despite anything that's going on around you," he said The fire damage is limited to the third floor. Another resident was helped out of the house and is being assisted by the Red Cross. There were no other victims, fire officials said. Damage is estimated to be around $100,000. The family has already hired a company to begin renovating the home, but repairs to the emotional damage will take much longer. Because Cecil had been a key source of support for his mother, the family is now sorting through how to get her back into the home. Make WLWT a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks Inflation numbers are in. Try our calculator to estimate the cost difference of various groceries US Air Force evacuates aircraft from a base in England because of a threat, US official says The US to become first nation to fully shun a UN Human Rights Council review AI-generated political ads spiked in 2026, but campaigns still prioritized other means of messaging