Chris Schriner watched in disbelief as the two-story house she bought with her husband, Mike, just before Thanksgiving went up in flames.
The rust-colored house in the 2500 block of Harrison Street in Evanston was a new start for the couple, who have 1-year-old twins, a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old. All members of the family, including the dog and cat, made it out safely.
“I’m all over the place and in shock,” Schriner said, watching from across the street as flames licked out of the roof. Workers renovating the second floor of Schriner’s home noticed smoke coming out of the attic about 11 a.m.
“We got to the site of the attic fire at about 12:30 p.m.,” said Dwight Hohl, Evanston Fire Department division chief.
“We saw smoke upon arrival and launched an aggressive attack. The fire is now out,” Hohl said at about 4 p.m.
Chris Schriner’s sister, Melissa Layton, said it was an old house and that the family thinks the fire likely started because of wiring issues in the attic.
“They were just finally, finally moved in,” Layton, said, her eyes filling with tears. “This was their home. We are all in shock.”
Chris Schriner is a freshman science teacher at Highland Park High School, where students and faculty are rallying in support, Principal Tom Koulentes.
“We are all grateful that Chris and her entire family are safe and uninjured,” Koulentes said. “Our staff has already begun planning how we can support her.”
Neighbors were already helping bringing over bags of bagels and diapers for the Schriner family. Firefighters broke panes in second-story windows and threw debris on the lawn as neighbors lined up on the sidewalk to watch. Water from the firehoses collected in puddles on the street and froze solid.
“All of us, really, are stupefied,” Layton said. “Just a state of disbelief.”
“Attic fires are difficult to track because of the structural configurations. The fire had been burning for some time before we got there and had built up,” Hohl said.
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The cause of the fire is under investigation.
“We think it might have started this morning when workers moved pipes to install an air conditioning unit,” Hohl said.
Tribune reporter Gregory Trotter contributed to this story.