Firefighters battle fire at Palatine home

Firefighters credit a smoke alarm with saving two Palatine adults and an infant's life after fire started in their garage around 4:15 a.m. Tuesday, firefighters said.

Palatine firefighters arrived at 118 W. Cunningham Drive to find heavy fire and smoke coming from the attached garage and extending to the house, officials said. The residents said they woke up to an activated smoke alarm on the second floor of the house, and found the fire in the garage. The adults were able to remove the 6-month-old baby from a bedroom directly over the fire and evacuate the house before firefighters arrived, officials said. At the same time, a jogger passing the house noticed the fire and knocked on the door to alert the residents, firefighters said.

Twenty-eight firefighters got the blaze under control at 5:28 a.m. One firefighter was taken to Northwest Community Hospital and was treated and released. The family and their two pet dogs escaped injury.

The house was left uninhabitable; two cars and a motorcycle were also destroyed in the blaze. A damage estimate was not available. Fire officials are investigating.