Candle starts fire in Palatine apartment

Fire from a candle displaced five people from a Palatine apartment complex Tuesday evening but was controlled by an automatic sprinkler system before spreading.

Palatine firefighters responded to the Woods of Palatine apartment complex, 1125 N. Sterling, around 6:16 p.m. for the report of an activated fire alarm; the first unit arriving on the scene less than seven minutes later, fire officials said.

Firefighters found a small fire in a second floor apartment that was being controlled by a single sprinkler head from the building's automatic system. Fire officials shut down the flow from the sprinkler to control water damage to the unit and spread tarps to protect occupants' belongings in the apartment below from water coming through the drywall ceiling, officials said.

Fire officials determined the unattended candle lit nearby paper products, causing $10,000 in damage to the apartment in which the fire started and the one directly below it, officials said. Both units are uninhabitable, displacing five people. The Woods of Palatine management personnel assisted displaced residents with temporary housing, firefighters said.