Palatine police and firefighter/paramedics responded about 12:00 PM Tuesday to a report of smoke coming from the residence at 229 E. Cedarwood Ct. in Palatine, called in by a passer-by. The first Palatine Fire Department crews arrived on the scene in less than 4 minutes and reported smoke showing from the tri-level, wood frame single family home. The first fire companies forced entry into the house and attacked the fire with a 1 3⁄4” hose line. Other firefighters stretched a supply line to a fire hydrant, initiated a search of the structure for possible occupants, ventilated smoke and fire gases, and pulled a second 1 3⁄4” hose line while additional crews laddered the building, opened walls and ceilings to search for hidden fire, and provided rapid intervention and medical standby. The fire was declared under control at 12:11 p.m. and firefighters continued to ventilate smoke and gases and perform salvage and overhaul activities for some time after the initial firefighting operations.
The home was occupied by two residents, neither of whom was at home at the time of the fire. Palatine Police officers assisted at the scene with traffic and crowd control. No civilians or firefighters were injured, but one cat succumbed to the heavy smoke.
The fire was fought by 23 firefighters staffing three engines, two ladder trucks, one rescue squad and three ambulances which responded to the scene along with three command officers and a fire investigator. An ambulance from the Long Grove Fire Protection District covered a Palatine fire station during the incident as part of an automatic aid agreement. The house sustained significant fire damage to the lower level, as well as heavy smoke damage throughout, and was not tenable for the occupants.
At the time of the Palatine Fire Department press release, the cause of the fire remains under investigation and damage estimates are not yet available.
The Palatine Fire Department reminds everyone to have working smoke detectors in their homes, to be sure to have furnaces and heating appliances checked before the heating season, and to be sure to properly dispose of any smoking materials.
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