Fire destroys Kirkland home
By CARRIE FRILLMAN cfrillman@daily-chronicle.com
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| Sycamore firefighters cover hot spots Monday at a house on fire in the 800 block of Willow Road in Kirkland. The cause of the fire is still under investigation by Kirkland Fire and Illinois State Fire Marshal. Beck Diefenbach – bdiefenbach@daily-chronicle.com |
KIRKLAND – No one was injured Monday afternoon when a fire destroyed a home on Willow Street in Kirkland.
Firefighters were called to 800 Willow Street – less than a half mile from Hiawatha Jr./Sr. High School – shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday. Authorities were unsure later in the afternoon as to what caused the blaze, but knew it started in the back corner of the home's attached garage, Kirkland Fire Department Lt. Carl Bruder said.
"When we came, flames were coming through the upstairs window, right above the garage," he said, adding his department was the first on the scene. "The [state] fire marshal will assist with the investigation, but at this point, we don't know what caused it."
Smoke from the fire filled the sky Monday and could be seen from the intersection of Route 72 and Glidden Road.
The second floor of the home was engulfed in flames about 2:30 p.m., and firefighters stood on an extendable ladder to break through glass windows. They then sprayed water throughout the upstairs of the home.
Forest Drive, which runs perpendicular to Willow Street, was blocked from Willow to South First Street while firefighters extinguished the blaze. About 50 neighborhood residents stood watching in nearby lawns and fire hoses ran throughout the streets.
Kirkland resident Jeff Simmons, 44, was driving through the subdivision Tuesday when he saw smoke coming from the home.
"At first, I thought they had a fire lit in the back yard and I looked and didn't see one," he said. "That's when I realized it wasn't right."
Simmons then ran inside the home to alert the owner; DeKalb County property tax records show that the home is owned by Tanya Adamson and Christopher Adamson. Tanya Adamson was inside with two of her young children, Simmons said.
"All I'd seen was smoke and by the time 5 minutes went by and we were out, there were flames," Simmons said.
Adamson declined to comment Monday, only to say she didn't know how it started.
Maria Silva, 42, lives next door to Adamson at 802 Willow St. The siding on her home was destroyed by the heat of the fire and the inside wall of her home was warm, she said.
"I'm just glad the babies are OK," she said.
Genoa-Kingston Fire Chief Bruce Kozlowski said the home will likely be ruled a total loss, and that firefighters tried to do an interior attack to salvage as much as possible.
