19 fire departments respond to St. Charles garage fire

Nineteen fire departments responded Monday afternoon to a west suburban garage fire that tore through the attic of a home, a neighbor’s garage and three vehicles in two separate driveways.

At 12:31 p.m., fire officials responded to a report of a detached garage fire at 314 Indiana Street in St. Charles, according to a statement from the St. Charles Fire Department.

Firefighters found a detached garage with the fire spreading to the attic of the home and moving to the first floor, the fire department said. The blaze also involved three vehicles in the driveways of the original home, as well as a neighbor’s house to the west.

The neighbor’s garage was also catching on fire, the statement said. The fire was elevated to a second-level MABAS box alarm, bringing 19 fire departments to the scene and to the St. Charles Fire Department to fill in.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control in about 90 minutes, the fire department said. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental and remains under investigation, the fire department said. Fire damages to the structures, vehicles and contents were estimated at $385,000.

The vehicles and the garage were destroyed and the home is not habitable, the fire department said. The people living in the destroyed home are being assisted by the Red Cross.