Family Escapes Burning House Thanks To Smoke Detector: Fire Dept.

EVANSTON, IL — A local family was displaced by a fire that tore through their home Saturday in Evanston. Fire officials said the blaze began shortly after 7:30 p.m., when a 911 call came in reporting a fire in a single-family ranch house in the 1500 block of Cleveland Street.

The first firefighters arrived at the scene within three minutes of the dispatch to find heavy smoke and flames visible form the front of the home, according to the Evanston Fire Department.

Fire crews first attacked the blaze from outside before moving in to extinguish the remaining fire. All Evanston fire companies were called to the scene, but no other departments were needed, according to fire officials.

The family of four who were inside when the fire broke out was able to escape the burning house due to working smoke detectors, according to the fire department. The level of damage made the home uninhabitable for the moment, and the Red Cross is providing housing support to the displaced family.

There were no injuries to any of the residents or firefighters, according to the fire department. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but fire officials said they suspect it started in the kitchen.