Fire leaves Elgin home uninhabitable

A kitchen fire caused an estimated $200,000 in damages Tuesday morning to an Elgin home, leaving it uninhabitable, officials said.

The Elgin Fire Department responded at 11:43 a.m. to a home on the 300 block of Cassidy Lane, where they found smoke and flames coming from the outside of the home, officials said in a news release. No one was home, and no firefighters were injured.

Firefighters found heavy fire and high heat in the first-floor kitchen, and high heat and zero visibility on the second floor as the fire traveled up the outside wall of the kitchen, officials said. Crews worked inside and outside the home to extinguish the fire, which was under control in 30 minutes, officials said.

The home was boarded up, and the cause of the fire is under investigation, officials said.

Cooking-related fires are the number one cause of blazes across the country, Fire Chief John Fahy said.

"Food cooking on a stove should never be left unattended," he said.