1 Home Destroyed, 2 Damaged After Fire, Possible Explosion In Northbrook
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Neighbors heard what sounded like an explosion before a fire destroyed one home and damaged two others Wednesday morning in north suburban Northbrook.
Northbrook Fire Department Chief Andy Carlson said he could not confirm the reports of an explosion, but said the first calls about a house fire on the 2500 block of Melanie Lane came in around 6:20 a.m.
By the time the first fire trucks arrived a few minutes later, flames already had spread to two other homes.
"The houses are only about 20 or 30 feet apart," he said. "So when the first house was fully involved when we got here, it was already extending to the neighbors."
No one was injured in the fire, and everyone was able to get out of the three homes on their own.
"We're really thankful that nobody was injured," Carlson said. "Everybody that we know of was able to self-evacuate. So that's all great. There was no firefighter injuries either, and so they all did a really good job stopping this where they did."
About a dozen departments responded to the blaze, which destroyed the home where the fire started. Both neighboring homes also were damaged. At one of the neighboring homes, most of the wall facing the first home was destroyed, and there was extensive damage visible on the interior.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.