Police officer suffers smoke inhalation in South Elgin fire

A police officer was injured during a fire Wednesday night in South Elgin, fire officials said Thursday.

South Elgin Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Bill Sohn said firefighters were called to the 8N400 block of Gordon Lane at about 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Sohn said fire was not showing from the home, but smoke was seen pouring out of the building.

He also said a South Elgin Police officer was suffering from smoke inhalation after entering the home to get people out.

“A 12-year-old girl and a dog also were suffering from smoke inhalation,” Sohn said. “But the girl and dog were checked at the scene and released.”

South Elgin Police Chief Chris Merritt said patrol officer Brett Czeckowski was overcome with smoke when he tried to prevent the homeowner from re-entering the house.

Merritt said Czeckowski, who has been with the department for five years, was treated at a hospital and released.

The small fire, Sohn said, originated in the basement, but didn’t produce much heat nor fire. He said standard combustibles in the basement produced an extremely smokey fire.

He said the blaze was put out quickly, but the smoke from the fire caused about $100,000 in damages.

“There is nothing suspicious about the fire at all,” Sohn said. “It was clearly accidental in nature.”

The home was deemed uninhabitable Wednesday, but Sohn said the structure can be repaired.