Major Fire In Shorewood: Home Destroyed, 2nd Home Damaged

SHOREWOOD, IL —Saturday's mid-morning structure fire in the 800 block of Phelps Lane prompted the Troy Township Fire District to summon firefighters from Minooka, Channahon and Plainfield to help extinguish the blaze. Two families escaped safely. The initial house fire was reported at 10:08 a.m.

According to Troy Fire Lt. Dan Rozak, the victims reported that a car was on fire inside their garage. There were giant flames and smoke billowing into the sky as Troy fire trucks rolled up to Phelps Lane, which is behind the Troy Hofer Elementary School property.

"Everyone got out safe," Rozak told Joliet Patch's editor. "We upgraded the fire very fast to a box alarm. There was a heavy fire that got out of the garage and into the attic. We had to go defensive, unfortunately."

Because of the high winds from the west, the neighboring house sustained significant fire damage to its siding. Fortunately, the neighbor's house remains livable, Troy's fire department said.

"That house is still habitable," Rozak said. "We were able to save that."

Shorewood's Police Department and Troy Fire district had summoned public works employees to head out to the scene to tear down the house where the fire originated.

Around 11:30 a.m., the heavily damaged two-story looked like it could collapse. Several neighbors stood outside and watched as dozens of firefighters were on the scene putting out the blaze.

To keep onlookers away from the scene on Phelps Lane, the Shorewood Police Department blocked traffic at Vertin Boulevard.

Rozak said the cause of the fire remains under investigation at this stage.