Two fires broke out within one single family home in the 9200 block of North Callero Drive in Niles yesterday, according to Niles Fire Department officials.
The fire department was notified of the first incident around 9 a.m. yesterday by an employee of a nearby business on North Milwaukee Avenue, located near the home, who spotted smoke in the area, said Niles Fire District Chief Orlando Diaz. Diaz said fire crews found the home and forced their way into the residence. The homeowner was not in the home when fire crews arrived, he said.
The fire was confined to an upper level bedroom in the rear of the house and crews were able to put it out in a matter of minutes, he said.
Diaz said the homeowner and her son-in-law returned to the residence later that morning. Shortly after fire department personnel left the scene, the resident called 911 around noon to report smoke coming from the attic, he said.
A second fire, Diaz said, was found in the attic above the bedroom where the first had been extinguished earlier the same day. The blaze was put out within a matter of minutes, he said.
The homeowner was transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital after informing paramedics on scene that she did not feel well, Diaz said.
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Niles Fire District Chief Martin Feld said the resident’s medical issue was unrelated to the fire incident.
When fire crews responded to the first fire in the bedroom of the home, Diaz said the attic was examined but nothing was found.
“Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for rekindling to occur, but that’s not what we want to happen,” he said.
Feld and Diaz said the cause of both fires is still under investigation. The Illinois State Fire Marshal is assisting with the case, Feld said.
The upper level of the home suffered extensive water damage as a result of both blazes, he said.
Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.