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Villa Park firefighters respond to 3 fires during single shift

VILLA PARK – Sunday night and Monday morning were busy for the Villa Park Fire Department, as firefighters extinguished three blazes during a single shift, according to a village news release. One person was injured in the fires.

At 8:23 p.m. Sunday, the department's Gold Shift responded to an oven fire at a single-family home in the 200 block of East Kenilworth Avenue.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, they observed the fire coming from the back of the stove and extending up the wall. Kitchen cabinets also were on fire. They were able to bring the fire under control within 15 minutes of arrival, the release stated.

Residents were home, but they exited the home safely. The fire caused an estimated $15,000 in damage, according to the release.

Villa Park was assisted by the Elmhurst and Lombard fire departments and Oakbrook Terrace and York Center fire protection districts.

Prior to the fire, the circuit breaker was tripped and reset a few times in an attempt to start the oven. The Villa Park Fire Department reminds residents to call an electrician if a circuit breaker is tripping repeatedly, the release stated.

Villa Park firefighters responded to a second call at 10:40 p.m. Sunday in the 1100 block of North Yale Avenue. Upon arrival, companies observed heavy fire on the second floor of a two-story detached garage.

The fire is believed to have started in a ground-floor addition to the garage and spread upstairs to the second floor, according to the release. Excessive storage on the compartmentalized second floor created a structural collapse risk.

Firefighters worked from outside the structure to extinguish the fire. Within an hour of arrival, crews were able to control the fire, the release stated.

The amount of damage remains undetermined, and the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, according to the release.

The homeowner was transported to Elmhurst Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after attempting to extinguish the fire prior to calling 911, the release stated.

The Lombard Fire Department, York Center Fire Protection District, Elmhurst Fire Department, Addison Fire Protection District and Wood Dale Fire Department assisted on the scene. Members of the Oak Brook Fire Department and Bensenville Fire Protection District covered Stations 81 and 82.

The Gold Shift extinguished a third fire Monday morning. At 6:31 a.m., firefighters responded to a call from a passerby who observed sparks on the roof of a commercial building in the 800 block of South Route 83.

The building, occupied by Hassett Express, is located in Elmhurst, but Villa Park was the first company to respond, the release stated.

A light on the roof may have shorted out and caused the roof to catch fire, according to the release. Crews extinguished the fire within 45 minutes of their arrival, and damage was minimal.