Arlington Heights fire destroys garage, vehicle
Smoldering coals in a garbage can might have sparked a fire that destroyed a garage and a vehicle in it Friday night in Arlington Heights, authorities said.
The fire in the detached garage broke out about 7 p.m. on the 2400 block of North Pine Avenue, according to Battalion Cmdr. Tom Zerfass of the Arlington Heights Fire Department.
When fire crews arrived they noticed fire pushing out of the garage’s side door, approaching a house about six feet away. The fire got close enough to break a window on the house, which alerted the homeowners to the fire, Zerfass said.
The coals had been discarded in the garbage can after they were used in a grill, and the garbage can was placed in the garage, he said.
“They thought the coals were out, but they weren’t out,” he said.
Most of the damage occurred in the garage, with only minor damage to the house. The total loss is estimated at $25,000, Zerfass said.
No injuries were reported.