Fire guts Des Plaines home, cat saved

Firefighters rescued a cat from an overnight fire Saturday in Des Plaines, but the fire left the home uninhabitable, forcing the couple and their cat into a motel.

A man and woman living in a ranch home at 256 W. Kathleen Drive heard a noise coming from the attached garage about 2 a.m. and discovered the fire, said Des Plaines Fire Battalion Chief Chris Wozny.

“When a resident opened the door to the garage, he burned his hand” on the doorknob, said Wozny, adding that the man was treated for his burn and did not require hospitalization. The fire spread from the garage into the living room and through the roof, causing an estimated $100,000 damage. There were no vehicles in the garage and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

“Firefighters found the cat in the basement and one of the ambulance crew gave it oxygen on the scene and it was doing pretty good,” said Wozny, adding that the couple were able to take the pet with them. Wozny said firefighters, who were on the scene until 4:30 a.m., didn’t know if the home had any working smoke alarms.