Crime & Safety

People Safe, 1 Chinchilla Died During House Fire Thursday

The Orland Fire Protection District took down a kitchen fire with heavy smoke that caused the death of a pet, as well as smoke damage to the house.

Orland Firefighters tackled a kitchen fire that left a home with smoke damage and one less pet Thursday afternoon, though no people were hurt.

The was called about a house fire in the 10500 block of Stone Hill Drive in the mid-afternoon, by the homeowner who found the house full of smoke, according to a release from the district.

Fire crews started arriving within about five minutes and found flames in the kitchen, as well as heavy smoke and heat on the second floor, according to the release. No one was home at the time, and two dogs and a cat were removed before there were harmed, but a pet chinchilla died from smoke inhalation.

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Read on for more Orland Fire Protection District news.

Firefighters kept the fire to the kitchen, though much of the house experienced smoke damage, according to the release. The fire burned through structural support joints making the house’s second floor unstable for firefighters. Smoke detectors were working inside the house, according to the release.

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“Burning through floor joints is a serious situation,” Acting Fire Chief Raymond Kay told Triblocal Reporter Jeff Vorva on Thursday. “We were very concerned our firefighters would fall through. They have brought up a ladder as a bridge and have been crawling from good structure to good structure and avoiding putting weight on the weakened floor.”

Orland had 25 firefighters on scene to mitigate the fire, and the Mokena Fire Protection District assisted by keeping watch on the west side of the Orland district while the fire was handled.

The fire’s cause is under investigation.

 


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