Palatine homeowner ignites fire while fixing leaky pipe with torch

No injuries were reported Saturday after fire broke out in a Palatine home as its owner was using a torch to repair a pipe, authorities said.

Palatine firefighters were called to the home in the 1300 block of North King George Court at 5:08 p.m. on a report of a first-floor fire.

The first crews to arrive found the fire in a laundry room, with flames extending through an exterior wall and damaging a small area of siding at the rear of the house.

The fire was declared under control at 5:15 p.m., authorities said. Damage was contained mostly to the laundry room, with other areas of the house sustaining very little smoke damage, officials said.

Palatine Fire Department fire investigators later learned the homeowner was using a torch to repair a leak in a copper pipe when he unknowingly ignited insulation leading to nearby ceiling joists. The fire was ruled accidental, and residents were not displaced.

The Palatine Fire Department recommends that residents use licensed plumbing contractors to repair leaking pipes and other similar plumbing issues.