Around 10pm on March 15, a Roscoe Illinois family arrived home and smelled smoke in their garage. They opened the door to the house and found the home full of smoke and called 9-1-1.
Harlem-Roscoe Fire responded with trucks from all three of their fire stations. The neighboring departments of North Park Fire and Rockton Fire were put on standby.
Fire was shooting out the back 1st floor windows and burning the outside and eaves of the whole backside of the house when Harlem-Roscoe Firefighters first arrived on scene.
Two hoselines were pulled off the first in engine and crews made entry through the patio door. The next in engine set up the hydrant.
The fire was quickly brought under control as firefighters did a search for the family dog finding it on the second floor. Heavy smoke on the second floor had already taken it's toll and the dog was dead.
Crews continued to dig for hot spots and overhauled the two story home and set up positive pressure fans to rid the home of smoke.
The investigation team took over but had to stop for the night when dense fog rolled in around 1am and return the next morning. Harlem-Roscoe Fire Investigator Captain Mike Drost reports that they believe it was an accidental fire caused by an unattended candle left burning on a end table. The damage is estimated at over $100,000
