THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2008

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Fire Causes $350,000 In Damages To Townhome

By TOM ROBB

Journal & Topics Reporter

Flames raced through the first floor of a townhome at 8824 Robin Dr. in unincorporated Maine Township Monday morning causing an estimated $350,000 in damages.

The blaze left one family homeless and sent two to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge for observation after suffering possible smoke inhalation.

North Maine Fire Protection Dist. Chief Rich Dobrowski told the Journal & Topics Newspapers that 50 firefighters in 13 units from 10 departments responded to the scene.

The fire was first reported at 7:28 a.m. Dobrowski said units were on the scene by 7:31 and the fire was struck by 8 a.m. When firefighters arrived two residents of the townhome had already evacuated the building. They suffered minor smoke inhalation and were taken to the hospital as a precautionary step. Dobrowski said there were no other injuries.

Dobrowski said the first floor of the unit was gutted from the flames and the second floor sustained heat damage making the unit uninhabitable. He said some smoke made its way into a next-door unit but did not cause major damage.

The five-unit townhouse complex is located off Dempster Street near Potter Road in unincorporated Des Plaines.