Firefighters extinguish blaze in unoccupied Prospect Heights house

A firefighter was uninjured after falling through a hole in the floor and into the crawl space of an unoccupied home in Prospect Heights during an early morning fire Friday.

Prospect Heights firefighters received the call to the house on the 100 block of North Schoenbeck Road at 12:25 a.m. after a passer-by reported smoke coming from the roof.

Upon arrival, firefighters found smoke coming from multiple areas of the roof. A search of the house determined that it was unoccupied - apparently while renovations are under way - and that the fire was in the crawl space.

The fire was quickly extinguished, and other firefighters immediately assisted their colleague who had fallen into the crawl space.

No spread of the fire was found among the walls or ceiling, but much of the house sustained smoke and water damage.

Firefighters from Prospect Heights and Wheeling were assisted by units from seven other fire departments.

Because the area of the fire is not served by fire hydrants, water tanker trucks were requested from the Palatine Rural and Elk Grove Township departments.

Fire officials still were investigating the cause of the fire Friday.