Itasca Fire Chief Offers Advice After House Fire
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A house fire in Itasca has the fire chief there offering advice to people whose homes are flooded.
The Itasca Fire Protection District responded Monday morning to a report of a roof fire in the 400 block of Hickory Drive.
Upon arrival crews found smoke coming from the house and immediately initiated a search of the residence. The fire was located in the basement of the residence and was extinguished at approximately 9:30 a.m.
No one was home at the time of the fire and Itasca Fire Chief James Burke said a couple of devices were running in the house - a fan and a dehumidifier used to keep the house dry.
"I think a lot of people are probably doing these things based on the fact that we've had much flooding in the area. They are just trying to dry their basements out. It is totally understandable," he said.
Burke said it's important to set up devices such as fans and dehumidifiers properly, as well as make sure they are rated by Underwriters Laboratories.
And while Burke admits it's not always possible, he said it's usually best to be home whenever running any sort of electrical device so its operation can be supervised.
The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.