At approximately 1:50 a.m. on Nov. 4, 2018 the Wheaton Fire Department was dispatched to a reported structure fire in the 600 block of East Forest Avenue. Upon arrival, fire crews identified a fully involved garage fire with an automobile on fire and fire extending inside the attached single-family home. Wheaton firefighters quickly suppressed the main bodies of fire and the fire was brought under control within fifteen minutes. The fire caused heat damage to a garage structure on a neighboring property to the north. The occupants of the single-family home safely evacuated the structure. The fire did not cause any injuries.
Investigators from the Wheaton Fire Department conducted a fire investigation. The cause of the fire is deemed accidental and appears to have been related to improper disposal of materials from an earlier recreational fire at the property. Damage is estimated in excess of $100,000. The Wheaton Fire Department was also assisted on the scene by the Wheaton Police Department and several fire departments from neighboring communities. The building was turned back over to the owner after the fire.
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