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Bystander saw fire on Townsend Street, alerted sleeping homeowner before calling 911

SYCAMORE – Fire crews responded about 5 p.m. Thursday to the reports of a structure fire coming from a single-story home in the 1000 block of Townsend Street.

Sycamore police on the scene said no injuries were reported. The Sycamore Fire Department said in a news release that the fire appeared to be accidental and that it caused about $25,000 in damage.

Sycamore resident Brandon Criese was on his way to class at Kishwaukee College when he drove by a home in the 1000 block of Townsend Street, saw flames coming from the house, and ran up to pound on the front door, alerting the homeowner who was inside taking a nap.

After ensuring the man was safe, Criese and another bystander called 911.

Kathy Sherman of Sycamore also saw flames while driving by and pulled over on Vance Street to call 911.

“I just saw smoke and flames,” Sherman said.

About 5 p.m., flames could be seen coming from inside the home, as scanner reports said the fire seemed to be coming from the south side of the home, visible through the front door.

As of 5:30 p.m., no flames were visible outside. According to scanner reports, crews had completed interior searches of the home and were on the lookout for hot spots or any flames in the attic.

Sycamore Fire Chief Pete Polarek said that as of 5:45 p.m., fire crews were ventilating smoke out of an opening the attic created with a chain saw on the roof, and crews were tending to areas in the front of the home that still were smoldering. Fire crews removed siding and doused the structure beneath to put out any hot spots.

Crews from the DeKalb, Cortland, Genoa Kingston, Hampshire and Burlington, Elburn Fire along with Sycamore Police Department and Nicor and Comed were on the scene to assist.

Source: The Daily Chronicle

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