On Sept. 17, at approximately 3:45 a.m., the Villa Park Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 1500 block of South Euclid Avenue. A garbage collector at a nearby business noticed fire coming from the rear of a house and called 911. Oakbrook Terrace and Villa Park police officers arrived quickly, woke the residents, and evacuated them. When Villa Park Engine 81 arrived, crews observed smoke and fire coming from the second-floor eaves at the rear of the building.
According to the Villa Park Fire Department, firefighters deployed multiple hose lines and quickly extinguished a fire located in the attic above a rear bedroom. Crews searched the home to ensure all occupants were out, located the family’s kitten, and kept it safe in the basement during operations.
Fire damage was limited to a small section of the roof and the structure above one bedroom. Smoke inside the home was minimal, but the residence sustained water damage. With no ambulance calls at the time and both engine companies fully staffed and in quarters, crews stopped the fire before it spread further. No firefighter injuries were reported.
“A preliminary investigation by the Villa Park Fire Investigation Unit indicates the fire was likely caused by decorative low-voltage lighting installed in the eaves,” stated the fire department in its report about the incident. “Although the home had working smoke detectors, the fire did not generate enough interior smoke to activate them.”
The Villa Park Fire Department was assisted at the scene by firefighters from Addison, Elmhurst, Lombard, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, and York Center, along with Villa Park and Oakbrook Terrace police officers.
