St. Clair County coroner’s office identifies body in Belleville fire

The St. Clair County Coroner’s Office on Monday identified 59-year-old Thomas Hazzard as the victim of an early morning house fire that occurred March 19.

Hazzard’s body was found in a burned-out home at 602 Abend St. in Belleville. A placard on the property indicated the home was condemned. According to previous reports, neighbors believed at least three people were living in the house before it was condemned.

St. Clair County property tax records indicate the home was owned by the victim’s mother, Dolores A. Hazzard. Dolores Hazzard passed away August 2011 at the age of 83, according to an online obituary published by Lake View Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens.

GUEST BOOK: Express your condolences to the family of Thomas Hazzard

Firefighters said the body was found in the room where the fire apparently started, along with smoking materials and candles. The cause of the fire is believed to be “some act of the person,” who was possibly smoking or using candles for light or heat, Belleville Fire Chief Tom Pour said last week.

No other injuries were reported by authorities as a result of the incident earlier this month.

Investigators from the state fire marshal’s office assisted the Belleville Fire Department’s investigative unit.

A GoFundMe account was created one day after the fire to help cover funeral expenses for Hazzard, nicknamed “Tom Hazzard.” The page was set with a goal to raise $1,200. According to the page, as of Monday afternoon, $660 had been donated to help meet that goal.

This story was originally published March 28, 2016 at 3:45 PM with the headline "St. Clair County coroner’s office identifies body in Belleville fire."