Family, Dog Escape From Plainfield Fire

A family of eight escaped unscathed from a fire that started in the garage of a home in the 13700 block of Amherst Court Monday night, according to the Plainfield fire department.

Deputy Chief Jon Stratton said two adults and their six children — who ranged in age from 6 months to 16 years old — were home when the fire broke out shortly before 7:30 p.m. at the two-story home. Some of the children were playing in the backyard when residents inside the house heard noises from the garage and opened the service door to discover the fire, Stratton said. Family members were able to get out of the house unhurt, he said.

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"It was a fast-moving fire — extremely fast," Stratton said, adding that in the three minutes it took firefighters to reach the home, the blaze was fully involved. He said the flames reached the house itself, but firefighters were able to contain it before it spread to a neighboring home. 

He said the father was able to move a van away from the garage before it caught fire, and was in the process of removing other items from the house when firefighters arrived.

"He actually ran back into the house to get stuff," Stratton said, adding the man was exiting the home for the last time when firefighters arrived. "If the fire would have broken through the door, he would have had a hard time getting out."

One witness said the man was also able to rescue the family dog. Brian Parpart was on his way to dinner with his wife when they spotted the blaze from Route 59.

“Almost the whole front of the house was engulfed in flames,” he said, adding it appeared the entire family was out of the home — except for the dog.

He said the man returned to the home several times.

“[The resident] had to be told by firefighters not to go back in” after retrieving the dog, Brian Parpart said. “He really saved the day there.”

Stratton said the home was left uninhabitable, and investigators were working to determine the cause of the blaze Monday night. He said the family was going to stay with relatives.

Stratton said no one was injured.

All of Plainfield's companies responded to the fire, with assistance from Lockport, Joliet, Naperville, Oswego, Bolingbrook and Channahon, Stratton said.

Have information on efforts to reach out to the family affected by the fire? Let us know in the comments, or email shannon.antinori@patch.com.