No injuries in Lombard house fire

A Lombard family and their pet dog escaped unharmed Friday afternoon when a fire started in the kitchen of their home on the 200 block of North Main Street and then spread to another room, authorities said.

Assistant Fire Chief Jerry Howell said firefighters arrived around 3:30 p.m. to find smoke coming from vents through the roof of the split-level brick house.

He estimated damage to the building and its contents at between $60,000 and $80,000.

Howell said it might be a day or two before the family can return home, due to the extensive amount of damage, particularly smoke damage, inside the house.

Firefighters from Lombard and several neighboring towns battled the blaze, he said, and were able to quickly bring it under control. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Howell said, but there are no indications of anything suspicious.

“We were fortunate there was a hydrant right in front of the house,” he said.

Several groups of neighbors had gathered to watch, including Cathy McNulty and her 6-year-old son, Liam, who was wearing a fire department sweatshirt.

“We heard the sirens and he (Liam) asked to see what was going on,” McNulty said. “He wanted to see all the action.”