A Naperville house that went up in flames early Monday morning is being described as a “total loss” by Deputy Fire Chief Phil Giannattasio.
By the time fire crews arrived about 3:40 a.m., there was a “heavy volume of fire” come from the vacant residence at 75th Street and Wehrli Road, which was set back far from the road and heavily overgrown with trees and brush, Giannattasio said.
Several people called the fire department about the blaze but it’s possible it was burning for some time before smoke or flames could be seen from the street, he said. It’s not known if anyone was squatting in the house; the source of the fire remains under investigation, he said.
Because the site was fully involved, initial responders upgraded the fire to a general alarm about 3:50 a.m., bringing in three engines, two ladder trucks, one heavy rescue squad, two medic units and two battalion commanders, a news release said.
The heavy overgrowth surrounding the wood-framed, single-family house, the address of which is technically in the 700 block of 24W 75th Street, restricted firefighters’ access to the scene, the release said. It took about 90 minutes to knock down the blaze and another three hours to ensure all hot spots were extinguished and to conduct overhaul operations.
Damage was estimated at $300,000, officials said.
One firefighter sustained a minor injury but did not require hospital treatment.
The Naperville Fire Department was assisted on the scene by the Naperville Police Department, DuPage County Sheriff’s Office, ComEd and the Lisle-Woodridge Fire Protection District. The Aurora Fire Department and Darien-Woodridge Fire Protection District provided station coverage for Naperville during the incident.
