Firefighters Encounter Hoarding Conditions As They Battle House Fire In Evanston; One Firefighter Suffers Minor Injuries
EVANSTON, Ill. (CBS) -- Battling a fire in a home in Evanston on Monday was made much harder by what was inside.
Firefighters said they encountered a hoarding situation when they arrived for a fire at a home in the 1300 block of Dewey Avenue at 8:45 a.m.
The first firefighters to arrive encountered restricted access to the home because of the hoarding. They found heavy smoke and fire on the first floor of the house.
The fire was upgraded to a box alarm, bringing more firefighters to the scene.
The residents of the house were able to exit safely, and no civilian injuries were reported. One firefighter was taken to an area hospital for a minor injury.
Firefighters also rescued several cats from the house.
A portion of Dempster Street near the house was briefly closed for staging of fire vehicles, but it later reopened.
The cause of the fire was under investigation Monday afternoon.