Mt. Prospect home in ruin after basement fire

An elderly couple was displaced from their Mount Prospect home after a Sunday morning fire on the 1900 block of East Seneca Lane.

Mount Prospect fire officials are still investigating the blaze, which began in the basement around 11:15 a.m. and traveled to the second floor.

Neighbors say a water heater blew up in the basement, starting the fire.

One neighbor, Anne Wiase, said one of the homeowners had noticed a gas leak Sunday morning.

"He went downstairs to check out the heater, and it blew up and started an instant fire," she said.

Wiase said the homeowners are doing fine, although the one who checked out the heater was slightly hurt.

Another neighbor, Robert Hengels, said his neighbor smelled gas around 5 a.m. and realized the furnace wasn't working. He said a heating company was called in to repair the furnace.

"The heating company came and told him the gas valve was bad on their furnace, but he didn't have one and he couldn't get one for him and then left. Also, they called the gas company because they smelled gas and got a recorded message. Then (the homeowners) heard a noise in the basement and the water heater exploded," Hengels said.

The homeowners were unable to return to their home, since firefighters broke out windows on the second floor. However, they have shelter.

"They do have family here," said Mount Prospect fire Battalion Chief Chris Truty.

Truty estimated the damage at $200,000. He said the bulk of the fire was confined to the center part of the basement, with some extension to the second floor.

"They found the fire in the basement," he said. "After doing a little bit of a search through the whole house, they realized the fire had gotten up to the second floor through the laundry chute, and so the fire extended up to the second floor but didn't make it any farther than that."