Rural Princeton house uninhabitable after Tuesday fire

A rural Princeton house fire Tuesday morning is believed to be accidental in nature.

The homeowners were on vacation at the time of the fire, Princeton Fire Chief Scott Etheridge said. There were no injuries, but the homeowners lost three pet cats in the fire.

The fire in the 1300 block of 2500 East Street was fully involved with smoke coming from the front and the back at firefighters’ arrival, Etheridge said. The home is uninhabitable from the damage caused by the fire. An official cause has not been determined as the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing its investigation, but it is believed to be accidental originating from a bedroom, Etheridge said.

Nine different fire departments responded to the scene, including Bureau, Wyanet, DePue, Ladd, Malden, Manlius, Sheffield, Spring Valley and Walnut. Peru emergency medical services also responded, and the Dixon and Mendota fire departments helped cover the Princeton fire station during the response.