Cops Lead Two To Safety From Geneva House Fire
GENEVA, Ill. (STMW) -- Police officers rescued two residents from a burning house early Sunday morning.
Geneva firefighters responded shortly before 3 a.m. to 515 Highbury Lane, where flames on the roof were being fanned by steady and strong winds, according to a fire department press release.
Geneva police officers — the first responders on the scene — alerted two adult residents unaware of the fire and escorted them safely out of the single-family residence, authorities said.
A Geneva Fire Department official said a resident of a nearby apartment complex mistakenly gave an incorrect address on Brittany Court. But Geneva police officers dispatched the correct address on Highbury Court while firemen were en route to the scene, avoiding a delay in response, according to the fire department official.
The fire did not activate the home's working smoke detectors because of the location of the blaze, according to the fire department official.
Firefighters contained the blaze to the attic and roof, with limited smoke and water damage to the second floor. As a precaution, firefighters spread protective covers over the furnishings below the fire area.
Fire officials have determined from their investigation that heat from an electrical failure in an attic ventilator or fan ignited the wood roof sheeting and shingles. Preliminary damage estimates were set at $50,000.
Firefighters from Batavia, Elburn and St. Charles assisted on the scene.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)