Fire Causes Over $200K In Damage To Elgin Home

ELGIN, IL -- A fire badly damaged a home in the 300 block of Park Street in Elgin Wednesday morning, fire officials said. The blaze broke out at about 6:30 a.m. Firefighters first at the scene found smoke coming from the rear door of the house and residents told fire officials the blaze started in the basement.

The heat from the fire and excessive storage made it difficult for firefighters to get into the basement area to fight the fire, according to a news release.

Adding flames to that fire was the the construction of the older home, which was built prior to the use of modern fire stopping, fire officials said. This allowed for the blaze to travel through the walls unimpeded to the upper floors and attic of the home.

In total, 11 fire departments were called to assist and 38 Elgin firefighters responded to the blaze.

The residents made it out safely prior to the arrival of the fire department and no one was injured. Preliminary fire loss estimates exceed $200,000.

The fire remains under investigation by the Elgin Fire Department.

PHOTO VIA SHUTTERSTOCK