Fire guts Elk Grove Village home undergoing renovation

An early morning fire Saturday caused major damage to an Elk Grove Village home under renovation.

Firefighters were called 3:20 a.m. on a report of smoke in the area of Berkenshire and Dover lanes. Police also reported a smell of something burning.

Three minutes later, ambulance No. 7 found the fire a block south in a two-story, single-family home on Dorchester Lane.

Firefighters "went into a defense mode" because the home was so engulfed in flames and smoke, Battalion Chief Mark Sellers said. They shot water off an aerial ladder toward the fire, visible from the front of the 2,500-square-foot house, which was unoccupied at the time.

Firefighters also upgraded the alarm to bring in more manpower from Itasca and Roselle fire departments.

A cost estimate of the damage wasn't immediately available. The home was already uninhabitable because of the remodel, Sellers said.

Investigators are working to determine what caused the fire. There were no injuries to residents or firefighters.