Candle sparks South Elgin house fire

An unattended candle resulted in a fire Saturday night that caused $105,000 damage to a home in South Elgin.

South Elgin Fire Department Lt. Todd Erickson said residents left the home at 7N990 Dogwood Court about 7:30 p.m. A passer-by saw smoke about 8 p.m. and called for help.

Firefighters arrived to find smoke coming from the second floor and found fire in the basement and attic, Erickson said. Departments from Elgin, Pingree Grove and Bartlett assisted, and the fire was extinguished in about 30 minutes.

A family cat died in the fire, but no other injuries were reported. Cause of the fire was a candle left unattended in the basement, Erickson said.

Damage was estimated at $70,000 to the home and $35,000 to the contents.