Elgin house fire under investigation; no injuries

Five people, including children, fled a house fire Sunday in the 200 block of South Liberty Street in Elgin, Battalion Commander Terry Bruce said.

The people were checked for smoke inhalation, but no one was sent to the hospital, he said.

The fire apparently started in the basement of the single-family home about 5:30 p.m. and went up a stairway to the kitchen.

Damage to the two-story frame house is extensive and is estimated near $50,000, Bruce said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.