2 Cats Die In Fire At House Without Working Smoke Alarms: Arlington Heights FD

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — While the residents of a home were able to safely exit the premises during a structure fire Wednesday night, their two cats perished in the blaze. A number of nearby crews assisted the Arlington Heights Fire Department in putting out the fire with an "aggressive attack."

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Arlington Heights fire and police investigators. The residents told AHFD they were in the process of updating their smoke alarms, and at the time of the fire, the alarms were not operational. There were no civilian injuries reported.

According to AHFD, firefighters responded to the structure fire in the 700 block of West Hintz Road at around 5:45 p.m. Witnesses reported visible flames and smoke coming from the unit, which the responding fire units confirmed upon arrival, with heavy fire at the rear of the building, emanating from the second floor.

Residents of the home met with the firefighters outside and confirmed all occupants had exited the property, but two cats remained inside the building unaccounted for.

Officials said firefighters launched an "aggressive fire attack," while simultaneously conducting a thorough search of the premises. These efforts, according to AHFD, ensured the fire was quickly contained to the second floor and the structure's exterior rear portion, preventing further spread and limiting property damage.

During the search, fire crews located the two missing cats, which had both succumbed to toxic gases and were unable to escape the blaze.

According to the residents, they were home and awake when the fire began. They noted that their Wi-Fi had suddenly gone out, which was followed by the sound of breaking glass. Upon investigating the noise upstairs, they said they encountered smoke and immediately evacuated the building before calling 911.

Arlington Heights firefighters were assisted at the scene by firefighters from the Palatine, Mount Prospect, and Buffalo Grove fire departments. Fire companies from Schaumburg, Lake Zurich, Prospect Heights, and Glenview provided station coverage for Arlington Heights.