3 dogs dead, 2 rescued in Villa Park area house fire

A fire on Friday night rendered a home near Villa Park uninhabitable and resulted in the deaths of three dogs, according to a news release from the village.

At 10:16 p.m. Oct. 22, the Villa Park Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire in the 1N700 block of Villa Avenue in unincorporated DuPage County, officials said. The first crew to arrive reported heavy fire in the front of the single family home. Fire crews deployed their hose lines and knocked the fire down before entering.

Once inside, fire crews were confronted with fire conditions and excessive storage-hoarder conditions. No one was injured in the fire, but three dogs perished, two dogs were rescued by firefighters and two dogs were unaccounted for, officials said.

The fire is believed to be accidental and caused by a hot ember or spark from a wood-burning fireplace near heavy excess storage conditions.

The Villa Park Fire Department was assisted by the Elmhurst and Lombard fire departments and the Addison and York Center fire districts. The Villa Park Police Department and the DuPage County Sheriff's Office were also on the scene.

The dollar amount of the damage was not given.