Two dogs die in Hoffman Estates house fire

Dennis Matus lost his two dogs and the Hoffman Estates home he’s lived in for 30 years in a fire Friday night in the 900 block of Basswood Street

Matus said he had gone to play hockey around 7 p.m. and returned to find his house completely burned around 9:45 p.m. Firefighters told him that the blaze may have started in the kitchen. The fire went through the roof in the rear of the house and almost everything is a complete loss.

When firefighters arrived about 9 p.m., smoke and fire where seen inside. “The main body of the fire was brought under control quickly,” a news release stated.

The news release put the loss to the one-story ranch home at $400,000. Schaumburg and Palatine fire departments assisted in battling the fire.

Captain Mike Hartman would not comment Saturday on the possible cause. “The fire is still under investigation,” he said.

The home was found to have smoke detectors, but it is unclear if they were working, the release said. The home was not equipped with a fire sprinkler system.

Matus, who said he raised his family in the house, said he is staying with his son until he can get settled.