A fire that broke out inside a Skokie apartment building late Monday morning claimed the lives of three cats and injured one dog, according to Deputy Chief Ken Borre of the Skokie Fire Department.
Fire crews responded to a four-unit apartment building on the 9100 block of Kilpatrick Avenue shortly before noon after fire alarms started going off in the building and several tenants reported smelling smoke, Borre said.
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The fire was confined to one of the units on the first floor of the building, he said, and the tenant was not home when crews arrived.
Borre said fire crews were able to extinguish the blaze within a matter of minutes. No human beings were injured but three cats inside the apartment died, and the unit suffered extensive smoke and fire damage, he said. Borre said a dog was rescued from the apartment and fire crews used an oxygen mask specifically designed for canines and felines on the animal. He said an animal control officer transported the dog to an area animal hospital.
The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, but it “appears more than likely accidental,” Borre said. He said fire crews were able to get in touch with the tenant. The other occupants of the building were evacuated and later allowed to return to their respective apartments.
Lee V. Gaines is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.