Carpentersville home gutted by fire

A Carpentersville family of four was left without a home Tuesday after a fire engulfed their detached garage and quickly spread to the main house.

Fire crews from a half dozen departments responded to the blaze just before 4 p.m. at 936 Chippewa Circle on Carpentersville's east side.

Officials said the fire started in the single-car garage and destroyed three vehicles parked in the vicinity. Though the fire was confined to the rear of the house, the ranch home was deemed uninhabitable.

Neighboring homes to the side and rear of the affected home suffered heat damage, firefighters said. Power was cut off to ComEd customers living east of the fire, Carpentersville Fire Chief John Schuldt said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

An adult and two children home at the time of the fire escaped unharmed.

Angel Silva, who has lived at the home for seven years with his wife and two children, said he is thankful his family is safe.

"I'm OK. My family's OK," said Silva, who was working when his wife called to tell him about the fire. "I care about my family. I don't care about the house."

Fire departments from Algonquin, Barrington, East and West Dundee, Hoffman Estates and Palatine assisted.