Firefighters quell Elgin blaze after firehoses freeze in post-blizzard cold

Two dozen firefighters put out a house fire Monday afternoon in northwest suburban Elgin, fighting freezing temperatures and icy conditions from a blizzard that swept the area.

About 5:30 p.m., neighbors in the 1100 block of Highbury Drive reported seeings plumes of smoke and flames from a one-story house, according to a statement from the Elgin Fire Department. Firefighters swooped the building and were faced with issues due to the recent early-season blizzard that hit northern Illinois Sunday night.

Water from the firehoses immediately froze, the fire department said, and the ground was slippery due to the previous night’s heavy snowfall. But no one was injured, and the fire was snuffed out ten minutes from arrival.

Extensive damage to the roof and attic has resulted in the house’s residents being displaced, the fire department said. Elgin’s Fire Department was investigating the cause of the fire.