Elgin man injured trying to save pet in home fire

An Elgin man was injured after trying to save a pet bird during a fire to his home on Sunday evening, Elgin fire officials said.

A 52-year-old man and his 15-year-old daughter were watching television in the downstairs of their townhouse at 1099 Florimond Drive when the lights flickered and they realized something was wrong, said Elgin Fire Battalion Chief Bryan McMahan.

The man went upstairs to investigate and found thick smoke taking over the room. He reportedly found a fire extinguisher and tried to put out the fire himself and save the family’s pet, but wound up getting burned in the process.

Elgin fire responded at 5:05 p.m. on Sunday and were able to contain the fire to the upper level of the townhouse and keep the adjacent townhouses on either side from being affected by the fire, McMahan said.

The man was taken to Loyola Medical Center’s burn unit after emergency responders suspected he may have inhalation burns and possible second degree burns on his face. His daughter was not injured in the fire.

Fire officials estimated total damages at $120,000 from fire, smoke and water damage, he added.

McMahan said the cause of the fire was still undetermined, but that they believe it started in the home’s upstairs office.

Ultimately, the man was not able to save the pet bird, an attempt that can be dangerous during a fire, McMahan said.

“The best thing to do is get everyone out as quickly as possible,” McMahan said. “If there’s still a pet inside let us know and we’ll try to go in and get them.”