2 dogs die, home severely damaged in fire near Spring Grove

A house near Spring Grove was left with significant damage and uninhabitable following a weekend fire, and two pet dogs died.

Crews were called about 5:30 p.m. Sunday to the home, in the 28500 block of Kendall Avenue, a short distance off Nippersink Lake to find heavy smoke coming from the roof, Fox Lake Fire Protection District Chief Ed Lescher said.

The chief said firefighters pulled one dog out of the house and tried to resuscitate the animal but were unsuccessful. A second dog was later found and also did not survive.

The fire had started in the area of the kitchen and spread to the attic and took more than an hour to get under control, the fire chief said, adding crews had to cut through a ceiling and open the roof to attack the blaze.

It’s in an area without hydrants so crews had to shuttle in water, Lescher said. It took several hours to get the fire completely out. The blaze isn’t considered suspicious and is under investigation, he said.

The Red Cross was on the scene to assist the homeowners with temporary housing.