Fire damages two Naperville homes

Two families were displaced Monday by a fire that destroyed one Naperville house and damaged another, authorities said.

The blaze started in the garage of a ranch-style house on the 1100 block Daisy Lane and left the structure nearly a "total loss," Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis said.

A 911 caller reported the fire at 10:51 a.m. A husband, wife and three children who lived in the home were waiting outside when firefighters arrived.

Firefighters found flames shooting out of the windows and issued a box alarm to request additional manpower and equipment. The fire "totally consumed" the garage, a car and two or three motorcycles inside, Puknaitis said.

The blaze quickly spread to a two-story home to the east, torching the siding and the exterior wall and displacing two other people, Puknaitis said. Authorities said they're working to find places for both families to stay.

Firefighters also worked to put out burning embers that reached two other homes on the other side of the cul-de-sac.

"That's how hot the fire was," Puknaitis said.

It took firefighters about an hour to bring the blaze under control. There were no reports of injuries.

Investigators are trying to determine what sparked the fire. Infrared imaging captured by a drone that flew over the homes will help firefighters determine what areas generated the most heat and pinpoint the fire's origin.

The fire department drone also allowed firefighters to track vapors from an exposed natural gas line. NICOR crews were able to pinch the line.

The department bought the drone in May 2015 and received a Federal Aviation Administration certification to fly it.