Fire causes extensive damage to unoccupied Joliet residence

A fire caused extensive damage to a home in the south Joliet, but there were no injuries as the home was unoccupied at the time of the incident, according to fire officials.

About 11:30 p.m. Saturday, firefighters with East Joliet Fire Protection District received a call for a smoke investigation that was upgraded to a report of a structure fire at 411 Sehring St., according to East Joliet Deputy Fire Chief Matt Grohar. The residence is close to Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Joliet.

Grohar said there was smoke coming from the back of the residence, which was not occupied at the time.

When crews arrived on scene, they found a small single-story residence at 411 Sehring St. with a light haze of smoke in the back of the residence, Grohar said.

Firefighters made entry into the residence through the front door and found a fire inside of a closet next to a utility closet, Grohar said.

From that point, the fire was extinguished and firefighters checked for any other hidden fires that may have been present in the ceilings and walls.

Grohar said there was extensive smoke and fire damage to the residence.

“At this time, the fire is still under investigation,” Grohar said.