Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
Ginger Blossom, owner of a store by the same name in Richmond, credited a family dog with waking her up early Sunday and alerting her to an attic fire in the Route 173 property.
The fire was at the main house and did not affect the other buildings on the old dairy farm that houses Blossom’s import business. The farm, at 3016 Route 173, west of Antioch, is known for its metal animal sculptures that can be seen from the highway.
According to Richmond Fire Protection Chief Rick Gallas, the first firefighters arrived on the scene at 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
“We had flames coming off the back, and smoke,” Gallas said “The homeowner was awakened by her dog, and there were no working smoke detectors in that area of the house.”
Gallas said damage was estimated at $40,000, and the cause of the fire is under investigation but could be electrical. With no hydrants in the area, an extra alarm was called to bring more tankers to the scene.
“We had 90 percent of the fire out in 15 minutes and the rest in a half-hour,” Gallas said. “We had to pull the ceiling to make sure we got it all.”
Blossom said after being awakened by her dog, Emie, she called 911, … propped open the front door so her cats could escape … then took a hose out and started to try and slow the fire down.
“The fire department was there in about 8 minutes,” she said. “They were phenomenal; they were very quick.”
thanks Dan
