Accidental House Fire Caused By Bathroom Plumbing Work: Palatine FD

PALATINE, IL — Officials are calling a Monday morning house fire "accidental" and saying it was caused by plumbing work being done on a second-floor bathroom. No firefighters or civilians were injured following the incident in the 1100 block of North Del Mar Drive.

The fire was fought by 22 firefighters, staffing four engines, one ladder truck, one rescue squad, and three ambulances.

The Palatine Fire Department responded to the home at 8:23 a.m. and reported smoke and fire coming from the side and roof of the house. A neighbor reported seeing smoke and called the fire department. There were no working smoke detectors in the home, according to a news release.

The initial alarm was soon upgraded to a structure fire response. Fire crews deployed one hose line to the exterior of the house and another hose line to the interior for fire extinguishment. Officials said other crews used thermal imaging cameras to check for victims. All residents were safely located outside the house.

The fire, which was contained to the second floor and attic, was declared under control at 8:49 a.m. A primary search of the home discovered four cats that were returned to the homeowner.

Crews performed salvage to protect items on the first floor from further damage and overhauled void spaces to determine that no further fire existed, according to the news release. Damage estimates were not available at the time of the release.

The Buffalo Grove Fire Department also responded to the scene as part of an automatic aid agreement. During the incident, a Barrington ambulance stood by at Palatine Fire Station No. 82 to provide coverage for any additional calls. Palatine Police officers assisted at the scene with traffic and crowd control.

The Palatine Fire Department is reminding residents to have working smoke detectors in their homes, whether it is a single-family dwelling, an apartment, or a condo.