Cause of Geneva house fire not suspicious, chief says
A Wednesday night fire in Geneva caused considerable damage to a garage and left the home temporarily uninhabitable, but the family is safe and no firefighters were injured, officials said Thursday.
Tom and Mary Brown returned home minutes after firefighters arrived to battle the blaze in the 600 block of South Street.
Neighbors called the fire department just before 9 p.m. when they saw flames coming from the house. Some neighbors attempted to put out the fire using garden hoses. No injuries were sustained by neighbors trying to put out the fire, according to the fire department.
Neither the Browns nor their three children were home when the fire started.
The cause of the fire has not been determined, and Geneva Fire Chief Steve Olson said it is not considered suspicious.
Firefighters were on the scene three minutes after receiving the call, and found the garage fully involved with flames above the roof, Olson said.
Crews from Batavia, St. Charles, Elburn, West Chicago, North Aurora, Fermilab and Winfield assisted Geneva with a total of 64 firefighters and paramedics, Olson said.
The fire was contained mostly to the three-car attached garage, but the front porch and other parts of the house had some damage.
"The front of the car parked in the driveway melted from the heat, so it's been totaled," according to neighbor Joanna Rogers.
The house will likely be inhabitable once interior furnishings and finishes are cleaned, Olson said.
The fire was put out in an hour, but thick smoke from the fire lingered long after the fire had been put out, Olson said. There was no physical damage to neighboring properties.
Complete damage estimates have not been completed yet, officials said.
The Browns have received a pledge of help from St. Peter Catholic Church, where they are parishioners.
"Father (Joseph) Jarmoluk spoke to the Brown family this morning and said the church would help if they asked, and offered our prayers and sympathy," parish business manager Tina Trch said.
The Browns could not be reached for comment.