Passing motorist alerts residents to house fire

Naperville firefighters are investigating the cause of a blaze that caused extensive damage to a house at 1153 Greensfield Drive in the northeast part of the city Thursday morning.

The fire also damaged a garden shed behind a neighboring house.

No injuries were reported, but the house has been declared uninhabitable, authorities said.

Firefighters said they were alerted to the blaze at 6:47 a.m. by a driver passing by on Plank Road. The same motorist drove to the house to alert the residents, a husband and wife who were getting ready for work.

"They did not even know the house was on fire," acting Fire Chief Mike Zywanski said. "The passer-by came, saw the fire and ... started pounding on the front door and yelling for the people inside to get out."

Zywanski said the home had working smoke detectors but there was no smoke in the house at that time.

The first firefighters arrived five minutes later and found heavy fire in the northeast corner of the house spreading rapidly toward the house and shed next door.

The fire was extinguished in about 30 minutes, but units remained on the scene for several hours to check wall and attic spaces for smoldering remains.

A total of 42 firefighters were at the scene during the height of the blaze, authorities said.

The fire's cause and place of origin is still under investigation.

"We don't know exactly what the room of origin was or whether it was a room of origin or the exterior of the home," Zywanski said.

He estimates the damage to be in excess of $150,000.