Fire leaves Elgin home uninhabitable, kills several pets

No residents were injured, but two cats and several other pets were found dead after fire broke out in an Elgin home Sunday morning, authorities said.

Elgin Fire Department officials said the residence in the 900 block of Chippewa Drive was left uninhabitable until repairs can be completed. The residents were not at home at the time of the fire, which caused an estimated $400,000 in damage, officials said.

Fire officials said firefighters responded to the home at about 7 a.m. after receiving a report of black smoke coming from the single-family residence.

Fire companies arrived in less than five minutes and found smoke pouring from the front windows

They extinguished the fire 10 minutes after they arrived, officials said.

Damage was confined mainly to the front room, but the entire home incurred extensive smoke damage. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but it is presumed accidental, authorities said.