Susan Palos, Maricarmen Wilkerson Killed in Northlake House Fire
Unsafe Premises - February 23, 2026
Cause of Deadly Northlake Fire That Killed Susan Palos and Maricarmen Wilkerson at Property on 74 West Drive Remains Ongoing
NORTHLAKE, ILLINOIS (February 23, 2026) – Two women identified as Susan Palos and Maricarmen Wilkerson have tragically died in a Northlake residential fire at 74 West Drive.
Cook County officials are saying that the incident began around 1:25 AM on Monday. Multiple fire departments were called to the area after getting reports of a fire at the property.
Susan Palos and Maricarmen Wilkerson were both transported to a local area hospital to receive treatments. The victims were sisters-in-law.
Despite life-saving treatment at the hospital, Susan Palos and Maricarmen Wilkerson both died due to the severity of their injuries.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Liability for Northlake Residential Fires
Depending on the specific facts of any case, there could be multiple sources of liability for any residential fire. This could potentially include a consumer product. For example, a number of residential fires have been caused by products with lithium-ion batteries. These batteries may overheat in a chemical process known as thermal runaway. A number of other consumer products are known to be potential fire sources.
- Cooking and kitchen appliances
- Space heaters
- Flammable household products
- HVAC systems
- Products that grow natural gas
Companies that create consumer products have a legal obligation to ensure that those products are reasonably safe. They could be held liable for any type of effect that contributes to a person’s injuries. Product liability claims are typically pursued as a strict liability offense. Defendants will normally be liable for their defective products, even if they exercised a great deal of caution to avoid harm.
Steps to Take After Northlake Residential Fires
Residential fires remain a major cause of preventable injury or death across Illinois and the United States. According to the NFPA, “The 2023 home fire death toll of 2,890 was 44 percent lower than the 5,200 deaths in 1980 and 7 percent higher than the 2022 estimate. This continues an overall increase in the number of estimated home fire deaths since 2012.” It is important that certain steps are taken after any residential fire.
- Medical Records: All medical records related to the accident should be collected.
- Source: The source of the fire should be carefully investigated.
- Evidence Preservation: All evidence related to the source of the fire should be preserved.
- Legal Review: The family of any person who died in a residential fire should seek an independent investigation by a team with experience in negligence claims.
Residential fires are often highly complex. The factors that contribute to any incident can take place hours, days, weeks, or months ahead of time. Unfortunately, property owners and product manufacturers will almost never accept responsibility when some defect contributes to a deadly fire. This is why it is so important that these accidents are thoroughly investigated.
Investigating Cook County Residential Fires
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the families of Susan Palos and Maricarmen Wilkerson. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to investigators. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong. Many questions remain unanswered.
Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a Cook County pedestrian accident? Our team of accident investigators is here for you. We care deeply that accident victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into any incident, we are here to serve your needs. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.
