Hinsdale Official's Home Damaged In Fire

HINSDALE, IL – A Hinsdale trustee's house was damaged in a fire in mid-August, caused by a recharging battery pack, he said.

At Tuesday's Village Board meeting, Trustee Matthew Posthuma detailed what happened. The fire occurred on the night of Aug. 14 in the 900 block of South Bruner Street, a day after the last board meeting.

"We were recharging a lithium battery pack in our garage after we had used our Weedwhacker in the afternoon. It caught fire," Posthuma said. "So after we exited the house, one of my sons called 911 and a Hinsdale police officer immediately came to the scene to check and see what was going on."

Shortly after, firefighters arrived, followed by fire trucks from other towns, he said.

"The firefighters were able to quickly put out the fire in our garage before it spread to the rest of the house," Posthuma said.

The trustee praised the fire department's work.

"While a fire is not something I would want anyone to go through and we're still kind of dealing with the remnants of that, it is certainly an opportunity to witness firsthand the excellent service that our fire department provides," Posthuma said.