Pet dies, other occupants safe after Mount Prospect house fire

One pet perished but all other occupants of a Mount Prospect home were able to safely evacuate during a fire early Tuesday afternoon that caused an estimated $125,000 worth of damage.

Firefighters responded to a two-story, single-family home on the 500 block of North Elm Street at 12:52 p.m. Tuesday. They arrived within four minutes and had the fire under control 20 minutes later. The cause remains under investigation but appears to have been unintentional, authorities said.

Fire damage and the need to shut off utilities left the home uninhabitable.

"This fire could have been much worse if not for the occupants being alerted by a properly placed and working smoke alarm," Mount Prospect Fire Chief John Dolan said. "It allowed all residents to safely evacuate and call 911. The crews did an excellent job quickly bringing the fire under control and limiting structural damage."