A DeKalb woman died from smoke inhalation about 12 hours after a fire surrounded her University Village apartment Friday afternoon and caused $30,000 in damage.

Virginia Tyson, 30, 827 Russell Road, Apt. 41, died at “roughly” 5 a.m. Saturday, said Bea Thompson, manager of University Village. Tyson was not an NIU student, Thompson said.

The DeKalb Fire Department got a call at about 5 p.m. according to fire department reports. The blaze caused smoke and heat damage to the apartment.

The structural fire came from the back-bedroom window when firefighters arrived, fire department reports stated. Tyson was found in a front bedroom overcome by smoke and was taken to Kishwaukee Community Hospital, Rt. 23 and Bethany Road, according to reports.

She was later taken by ambulance to Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago.

The cause of the fire is still unknown. “It’s still under investigation,” said Fire Department Capt. Robert Jenkins. Lt. Stan Croom, the fire’s investigator, was unavailable for comment.

DeKalb Police Detective Bill Thompson is interviewing people to possibly discover the cause, reports stated, but was unavailable for comment at press time.

“They (the fire department) don’t know the cause,” said Bea Thompson. “They haven’t given any details.”

Twenty-three firefighters from DeKalb and Sycamore battled the fire for 90 minutes, reports stated. Firefighters controlled the fire within 20 minutes, reports stated.

Tyson lived with her sister Connie Hawkins at the apartment complex, Thompson said.