Elgin fire displaces homeowner
A man was displaced from his home after a fire in Elgin Thursday afternoon.
The fire on the 100 block of McLean Boulevard was called in by the homeowner at 2:05 p.m.
When firefighters arrived, they found the attic fully engulfed in smoke, pushing out of the eaves and roof vents.
Most of the fire was contained in the attic area above the garage of the single-family home.
Firefighters cut a hole in the roof and attacked the fire in the attic and the garage, putting it out in 10 minutes.
Fire officials said the blaze apparently started when the man was outside burning old paint off a wood siding with a torch.
The man was not injured by the fire, nor were firefighter. It caused approximately $30,000 in damage.
The house was ruled uninhabitable, and the man is staying with friends, firefighters said.