Cat perishes in Elgin house fire
An Elgin family's cat died from smoke inhalation during a house fire Monday evening.
Firefighters were called to the 200 block of Hamilton Avenue just before 7 p.m. and found smoke pouring out of a single-family house. They were alerted by a neighbor.
A resident had evacuated the house and told firefighters the fire was located in the basement laundry room area.
Two teams of firefighters were dispatched into the first floor of the house, one to ventilate and the other to find a missing cat.
The cat was eventually located, but succumbed to the smoke. Elgin fire officials said resuscitation efforts were made, but were unsuccessful.
The house did not have working smoke detectors, fire officials said. The house suffered an estimated $40,000 in damage and was rendered uninhabitable. A car was also destroyed in the blaze.
The residents were relocated for the time being, officials said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.