Teen Playing With Lighter Starts Elgin Basement Fire
ELGIN, Ill. (STMW) -- A teenager playing with a lighter in bed caused a basement fire in a northwest suburban Elgin home Monday night, injuring one man and causing about $10,000 in damage to the house.
Firefighters were alerted to the fire in a split-level house about 9:30 p.m. in the 1600 block of Sheffield Drive, according to a release issued by the Elgin Fire Department.
The house was filled with heavy smoke when firefighters entered, and a small fire was found in the basement and quickly extinguished, according to the release.
A 40-year-old man was treated for smoke inhalation at Sherman Hospital in Elgin after he tried to put the fire out with a dry chemical fire extinguisher, the fire department said.
Investigators determined that the fire was caused by a teenager playing with a lighter in bed.
Damage to the house was estimated at about $10,000, the fire department said. The damage was primarily contained to one room, and the residents were able to return to the home after the smoke cleared out.
The Elgin Department of Code Enforcement was notified to follow up about structural damage to the building, the fire department said.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
