A neighbor kicked in the door of a North Aurora house that was on fire and saved the family’s dog, North Aurora Fire Department officials said.
The Vargas family was not home Tuesday when the fire broke out.
Diana Vargas’ 14-year-old daughter was playing in a basketball game for West Aurora High School Tuesday evening. Vargas was at work when she got the call about the fire, and her oldest daughter was also out. Her husband, at their daughter’s game along with the youngest daughter, made it home first, Vargas said.
The dog had been alone in the house when the fire started. North Aurora firefighters responded at 5:49 p.m. to the 800 block of Magnolia, where they found heavy fire showing from the second story of the house, said Fire Chief Ryan Lambert.
Over the course of an hour, firefighters worked to put the flames out, but the fire did significant damage to the second story of the home, Lambert said. He estimated $200,000 to $250,000 in damage, and said the house is uninhabitable. No injuries were reported.
The neighbor who called in the fire also kicked in the door and got the dog out before firefighters arrived, Lambert said.
The dog, a 9-year-old Shitsu named Pebbles, ran to Vargas’ husband when he got to the scene, Vargas said.
While Vargas did thank the man who saved Pebbles outside what was left of her home Tuesday night, he remains a relative stranger to her.
“I cannot finish thanking the guy,” Vargas said. “I don’t even know his name. I don’t know where he lives.”
The fire was out by the time Vargas got there.
“I was asking myself, what am I going to do?” Vargas said. “You know, it is going to (be) different.”
Red Cross was called out to help the family, Lambert said. Right now, they’re staying with Vargas’ husband’s parents, who live nearby, she said. All of their belongings were destroyed, she said.
Right away, Facebook friends and strangers were sharing posts about collecting clothing and food for the family, asking how they could help and offering what they had that might be useful to the couple and their daughters, ages 10, 14 and 19.
When people have asked what the family needs, Vargas has mostly been saying clothes, but they also need toiletries such as shampoo and personal care items for the girls, Vargas said.
“The whole community has been contacting me, so I feel very blessed about it,” Vargas said. “We thank God that everybody is safe — including the dog.”
More Top Picks Samsung Ms11k3000as
Vargas works for a lumber company, and her husband has a maintenance job at Marmion Academy, Vargas said. The 10-year-old goes to Goodwin, and the 19-year-old is working and planning to register at Waubonsee Community College.
The sudden loss of the house has been hard for all of the girls, she said.
“I don’t think they can digest it,” Vargas said.
Vargas said she still isn’t sure what started the fire.
While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, fire officials believe it may have been an unattended candle, Lambert said.
“It’s extremely unfortunate,” Lambert said. “It was a big fire.”
Aurora, Fermilab, Batavia, Sugar Grove, Geneva, Elburn and Naperville fire departments all assisted North Aurora to fight the fire, Lambert said.
People who want to help the family can drop off donations at 890 Southbridge Drive, Aurora, where the family is living temporarily, Vargas said.
Twitter @hannahmleone