Discarded smoking materials spark St. Charles house fire

Discarded smoking materials sparked a fire Friday night that left a St. Charles home uninhabitable, authorities said.

The fire broke out about 8 p.m. at a home on the 0-100 block of North 12th Street. The homeowner, who was in the basement at the time, was alerted to the fire by a neighbor who saw smoke, ran to the home and banged on the door, said Assistant Fire Chief Joe Schelstreet of the St. Charles Fire Department.

When crews arrived, flames were visible from a first-floor bedroom window at the rear of the house. Firefighters entered the home and were able to cut off the fire before it reached the kitchen, Schelstreet said. It took a total of about 30 minutes to extinguish the blaze.

No injuries were reported, but the home was left uninhabitable with about $50,000 in damage, authorities said. The homeowners were working with the American Red Cross to find temporary shelter, and a company was called to board up broken windows.

Fire departments from Geneva, Batavia and South Elgin assisted with the response.