Palatine Townhouse Fire Started by Clothes Dryer

The Palatine Fire Department responded to a report of a fire in the laundry room at 2160 N. Oak Brook Circle in Palatine Monday afternoon. No injuries were reported.

Crews arrived on the scene around 2:30 p.m. and reported light smoke showing from the 4-unit townhouse building, the news release states. The first fire crews found a considerable amount of smoke when they entered the second-floor fire unit, with fire showing from the laundry room.

The fire was brought under control in less than five minutes, before the fire could involve the rest of the unit, which was found to be unoccupied. There was one resident at home at the time of the fire, who evacuated the building after smoke detectors went off.

An upgraded response was requested early in the incident due to the report of a spreading fire in a multiple-family occupancy coupled with the high winds present at the time of the fire.

The unit where the fire originated had minor damage that was contained to the laundry room, and the unit remained tenable for the five occupants. The remaining units of the building sustained no damage. Damage to the structure and contents of the building were estimated at a total of $3,000.

The fire was determined to be accidental, originating in the clothes dryer.

Palatine Police officers assisted residents prior to the arrival of the Fire Department. Crews from the Arlington Heights Fire Department and the Long Grove Fire Protection District also responded.

The Palatine Fire Department reminds everyone to have working smoke detectors in their homes, and to be sure to keep their dryers and dryer vents clear of lint build-up.