Firefighter hurt, 2 dogs killed in Buffalo Grove townhouse fire

A firefighter was injured and two dogs were killed in a townhouse fire Tuesday evening in northwest suburban Buffalo Grove.

Crews were called just before 5:30 p.m. for reports of the blaze in a townhouse in the 600 block of Le Parc Circle in Buffalo Grove, according to a statement from the Buffalo Grove Fire Department. The fire had spread to the wall and roof and was beginning to extend into other units by the time firefighters arrived.

The fire was brought under control by 6:25 p.m., the fire department said. One firefighter suffered a minor injury and was taken to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, where he was treated and released.

No residents were injured in the fire, although two dogs died in the unit where the fire started, officials said.

The fire may have been smoldering for hours before firefighters were called, according to the fire department. Neighbors told investigators they smelled smoke about 3:30 p.m., but did not see smoke or any indication of a fire when they walked around the building.

A resident of the unit where the fire started noticed something was wrong when an internet-connected thermostat sent a message to his phone stating that the temperature in the unit had reached 95 degrees, fire officials said. He called his wife, who arrived home shortly before he did to find smoke inside. She tried to rescue the dogs while her husband called 911.

Investigators have determined that the cause of the fire was electrical, the fire department said. It was not immediately clear how much damage it caused.