Fire damages Antioch house

An Antioch family is staying with neighbors after a fire swept through their house, officials said Thursday.

No one was injured in the fire that sparked in a dryer lint trap in the house in the 900 block of Neuway Lane about 12:20 p.m. Wednesday, Antioch Fire Department Chief John Nixon said.

The fire spread quickly through the walls of the structure before the family’s call for help at 12:21 p.m., Nixon said. He added the family escaped the home quickly.

The fire was extinguished within 10 minutes of firefighters arriving on the scene, but not before it caused about $60,000 in damage, he said.

The house was determined to be uninhabitable, but not destroyed. The family is staying with neighbors, Nixon said.

“This is an important lesson that people need to keep their lint traps clear,” Nixon said. “Not just the pull out one in the front, but also the 3-inch pipe that blows out hot air in the back. That was where the fire sparked in this fire.”

Firefighters from Lake Villa were called in to help cover the Antioch fire station while firefighters were at the blaze, he said.