Fire damages Hometown duplex
BY SUSAN DEMAR LAFFERTY slafferty@southtownstar.com March 20, 2013 4:42PM
Firefighters put water on a house fire in the 9000 block of Corcoran in Hometown, Illinois, Wednesday, March 20, 2013. No one was home at the time. A family pet was safely removed from the home by police officers. | Joseph P. Meier~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: April 22, 2013 12:10PM
A Hometown residence was almost completely gutted by fire Wednesday afternoon, but no one was injured and the family’s dog escaped on its own, Hometown Fire Chief John Hojek Jr. said.
No one was home when firefighters were called about 1:15 p.m. to the home in the 9000 block of South Corcoran Road, Hojek said.
Firefighters found heavy smoke coming from the duplex and blowing across Southwest Highway. They forced their way into the structure but had to be called out because “conditions rapidly deteriorated,” Hojek said.
A dryer that had been in use just prior to the fire caused it, he said.
Fire crews had to tear through the ceiling of the adjacent unit to make sure the fire did not spread, Hojek said.
Several area fire departments assisted the Hometown Fire Department, Hojek said.
The homeowner, who returned home while fire crews still were on the scene, told the chief his dog was acting strangely before he left the house, Hojek said.
“It must have sensed something,” Hojek said.
