Early-morning fire damages Elgin duplex

A duplex on the 300 block of Campus Drive in Elgin was damaged by fire Saturday morning.

The Elgin Fire Department was dispatched just before 7 a.m. for a report of a fire on a backyard deck.

Firefighters found the blaze had spread over the entire back of the one-story duplex. The occupants had escaped.

The initial investigation indicates the fire was accidental, according to a news release from the department.

Damage was estimated at $100,000, and the homes were declared uninhabitable. The American Red Cross and Elgin fire chaplains are aiding the occupants.