Above / Structure fire on 1100 Block of Catherine Avenue in Naperville caused by faulty furnace. No injuries reported. Fire estimated to have caused $50,000 in damages. (PN file photos are used to help flag reports about Naperville Fire Department and Police Department responses to emergency calls, always reminding readers that keeping the community safe is everyone’s responsibility. Thanks for calling 911 whenever seeing something suspicious. Be alert by day and by night. Stay safe.)
At 9:20PM on Wed., January 17, Naperville’s Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) received a call for smoke in a two story, single-family home located in the 1100 Block of Catherine Avenue.
Naperville 911(PSAP) dispatched a full Still response consisting of six pieces of fire apparatus and 13 personnel including an Incident Commander and Incident Safety Officer to the reported address.
At 9:24PM, Engine 1 arrived on scene indicating nothing showing from the exterior.
Investigation of the interior showed smoke conditions increasing in the residence. The residence was evacuated, and a General Alarm assignment was requested to bring an additional four pieces of fire apparatus to the scene with an additional nine personnel.
It was found that the furnace, located in the crawl space, had malfunctioned and was the source of the fire.
Companies on scene deployed a hoseline and extinguished the fire within minutes of arrival. Companies remained on scene to remove smoke throughout the home and control utilities. The Naperville Fire Department was assisted on the scene by the Naperville Police and Electric departments. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
There were no injuries to the two adults and three children living at the residence or firefighters while operating on scene. The building was deemed to be uninhabitable by the Naperville Transportation, Engineering, and Development Team. Residents were relocated for the night.
The fire is estimated to have caused $50,000 in damage.
Report submitted by Douglas J. Erwin, Division Chief: Emergency Medical Services for the Naperville Fire Department.
