House fire kills four Algonquin pets

A fire ravaged a two-story Algonquin home Monday morning, scorching the front and sides and leaving four animals dead.

The family of six -- including three children -- was not home when the fire occurred, said Kim Matz, a public information officer for the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District.

But the family's two Labrador dogs, bird and hamster all perished in the fire, she said.

"She was very upset about her pets, of course," Matz said of Kim Glauner, who owns the house with her husband, James. "She kept saying, 'My babies.' "

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Crews from Algonquin, Crystal Lake, Cary and Carpentersville were dispatched to the scene at 10:34 a.m., discovering heavy smoke and flames, Matz said.

A passer-by had called the fire in and it took firefighters 36 minutes to put out the blaze, she said.

Monday afternoon, six flashing fire trucks and more than two dozen firefighters still lined Helen Drive, which is normally a quiet street.

The air continued to smell of smoke.

Investigators have not determined how the fire started but say it originated in a laundry room on the first floor before spreading upstairs to the bedrooms.

"The house is a complete loss at this point. It's not habitable at all," said Julie Didier, another fire department public information officer.

Police blocked Helen Drive off to traffic and motorists traveling on Sandbloom Road between Souwanas Trail and Washtenaw Street were also rerouted.