Family of 5 Homeless After Intense Fire Damages Their House

A fire that was so intense it could be seen from five miles away partially destroyed a home in the Kensington Club subdivision Wednesday night and left a family of five homeless.

Plainfield Deputy Fire Chief John Stratton said the blaze at 24126 Newcastle St. began in the garage and quickly swept up into the roof. No one was injured, and the source of the fire was unknown, he said.

The home belongs to Jose and Estela Huizar, who share it with their three children. Three other family members were in the house as well, said Tony Dominguez, Estela Huizar's brother.

Dominguez said the family was unaware of the fire until they smelled smoke. When they realized the garage was in flames, they fled and called the fire department.

Fire personnel arrived on the scene at about 8:50 p.m. to find the garage fully engulfed, Stratton said. The fire had spread to the interior wall and roof before they were able to put it out within 10 minutes, he said.

Between 60 and 65 firefighters, including members of the Oswego, Lockport Township, Troy Township and Naperville departments, responded to the call, Stratton said. A fire inspector was on the scene Wednesday night in an effort to determine how the fire started, he said.

Also on the scene was Dean Marquez, the village of Plainfield's building official, who came to see how the fire precautions in the village's building codes performed.

Although the damage to the house was extensive, it would have been far worse had a lower standard been used for the wall separating the attached garage from the rest of the house, Marquez said. Many municipalities require a layer of foam be placed in between the siding and the wall, but Plainfield mandates that a sheet of compressed wood be the buffer so that a potential fire does not spread as quickly, he said.

Had that requirement not been in place, the house would likely have been a total loss, he said.

Marquez said the last few fires in Plainfield have all started in the garage, which can be particularly vulnerable because of the accelerants stored in it and because people sometimes overload outlets with too many wires. That said, this is the most extensive damage-wise that he's seen in his six months on the job, he said.

Stratton agreed, saying that the most recent fires have been smaller and more contained.

Estela Huizar declined to comment on the damage to her home or how the fire may have begun. Dominguez said the family would be able to stay with relatives.