Firefighter injured in Bloomingdale townhouse fire

A Bloomingdale Fire Protection District firefighter suffered minor injuries battling a blaze at a townhouse unit late Thursday.

Fire officials said the firefighter was treated at the scene and released.

Firefighters responded twice Thursday to the townhouse on the 200 block of Hedge Row Drive.

The first call came from the unit's residents who had returned home and smelled smoke at about 2:30 p.m.

Firefighters initially did not find smoke or fire in the unit, but heat-sensing equipment found hot spots in the walls.

Deputy Chief Alan Emody said when firefighters opened up the walls, they found charring between a light fixture in the bathroom and the unit's electrical panel.

Emody said firefighters "washed down the bathroom and attic," then cut power to the unit. The residents were put up in a nearby hotel for the night.

However, firefighters returned just after 10 p.m. when neighbors reported smelling smoke.

No fire or smoke was showing when firefighters arrived, but after making entry to the single-story end unit of the four-unit building, firefighters encountered smoke and fire.

This time, the fire was located in the ceiling, officials said. It was extinguished within 15 minutes, but firefighters were on the scene for nearly three hours.

Fire officials called ComEd and had them remove a smart meter on the outside of the residence as a precaution.

While the location of the second fire was closer to where the smart meter was located, the meter itself was not on fire, Emody said.

The cause of both fires remains under investigation.

However, this is the second house fire connected to electrical panels in as many days in the suburbs.

Firefighters in Cary dealt with an electrical fire Wednesday that began in the electrical panel. Even after power was cut to the home, they were called back hours later only to find the smart meter outside was on fire and had spread flames into the home.

The Cary fire left the home uninhabitable and remains under investigation as well.

After the Cary fire, ComEd officials said "all ComEd equipment was found to be in working order. The meter was manually disconnected to de-energize the home and ensure everyone's safety."