Firefighter OK after touching live wire in Elgin fire

A firefighter was injured and a house left uninhabitable Sunday after a Saturday night fire burned an unused mattress in an attic of a house near downtown Elgin.

Battalion Chief Terence Bruce said in a release a relative of a resident at the home on the 400 block of South Street reported the fire at 7:23 p.m.

The fire was brought under control quickly, but a firefighter suffered an electric shock when he came into contact with an exposed wire.

Firefighters cut a hole in the roof to attack the fire, which had gotten between roofing materials. The attic sustained significant fire damage; the second floor of the house was damaged by water.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The person who reported the fire was treated for smoke inhalation on the scene.

An Elgin fire official said the firefighter who suffered the electric shock has been checked out and did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

Residents of the first and second floors of the house have been relocated.

Fire damage is estimated to be $15,000 to the building and its contents.