Joliet Firefighters Extinguish House Fire During Bitter Cold

JOLIET — During the coldest week of the year, the Joliet Fire Department responded to a burning house on Monday afternoon, sending crews from Stations 1, 3, 4 5 and 6 to extinguish the blaze.

Battalion Chief Jim Batusich said the fire happened around 2:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of Gage Street. The fire involved a two-story structure.

He said the first fire department company arrived within three minutes of the call and were met with heavy black smoke coming from the structure. Vent crews were sent to the roof to ventilate the structure, while interior crews extinguished the fire on both floors.

The structure had fire, smoke and heavy water damage. The residents managed to escape the structure prior to the arrival of Joliet Fire Department crews. There were no injuries to report. The fire was declared under control at 3:15 p.m. Crews remained on the scene for 90 minutes, extinguishing hot spots and checking for extension. The fire cause is under investigation.