Dog’s grab for pizza may have started S. Elgin fire

A dog jumping for a pizza box on the stove may have led to a Monday morning kitchen fire that left a South Elgin family with heavy damage to their duplex home.

The fire, which started around 9 a.m. on the 900 block of Kane Street, is believed to have been caused by one of the large dogs living there. The dog jumped up for a pizza box that was on the stove, knocking the burner switch into the “on” position, said South Elgin and Countryside Fire Protection District Chief Joe Cluchey.

“Nobody was home so it extended up to the cabinets and into the kitchen,” Cluchey said.

Once they arrived on the scene, firefighters were able to get both dogs out of the residence and contain the fire to that portion of the home, although smoke damage was more widespread.

Cluchey said approximately $65,000 in damage was done to the structure, and another $35,000 to the contents.