Lombard firefighters see smoke, find basement fire

Lombard firefighters responded to a basement fire Tuesday morning even before they received a call.

When their work was done, they had rescued a dog, extinguished the fire in 15 minutes, saved the home from possible structural damage and even determined what started the blaze, authorities said.

Crews at Station 1 on St. Charles Road saw smoke directly across the Union Pacific West Line railroad tracks about 11 a.m. and began heading to the source.

Once there, they found a two-story house on the 100 block of south Charlotte Street with smoke pouring out of every level, Battalion Chief Ron Rakosnik said.

“There was a lot of smoke once we got there,” he said.

At first, no flames were visible, but firefighters determined the blaze was in the basement. The only resident home was outside by the time crews arrived and said only the family dog was still inside.

Firefighters searched the home and rescued the dog before extinguishing the fire, authorities said.

Investigators determined the fire started when a malfunctioning desk fan fell on a mattress in the basement. Heat from the fan caused the mattress to catch fire and the flames spread to nearby items such as clothing and drapes, authorities said.

Damage was estimated at $60,000, authorities said. The family will stay in a hotel until the home can be cleaned up.

Firefighters from Elmhurst, Oak Brook, Villa Park and York Center aided the Lombard Fire Department. All crews left the scene by about noon, an hour after the fire began.