An early morning blaze devastated an Evanston home while the residents were on vacation, according to reports from local sources. The fire, which erupted around 3 a.m. near the intersection of Hartzell and Walnut, resulted in the complete destruction of a house recently under renovation. In a statement obtained by ABC7, a neighbor described the occupants as "a wonderful couple" and labeled the incident as "just tragic."
Responding firefighters worked to extinguish the substantial flames that had overtaken the historic structure, onlookers reported plumes of smoke and the orange glow of fire stark against the pre-dawn sky, the house itself—a vintage edifice dating back to the 1900s—had undergone recent improvements to its venerable frame, firefighters were unable to salvage the venerable structure. No injuries were reported in the incident, with the Evanston Fire Chief confirming the absence of the family, who was away from the residence at the time, as mentioned in reports by CBS News Chicago.
Witness Jen Jessen Lunt, echoed by the sentiments, spoke to CBS News Chicago after being alerted to the conflagration by the family dog's barking, saying "Our dog was barking, and we walked outside and the house was just burning to the ground."
As of now, the cause of the fire remains undetermined, but the case is under rigorous investigation by local authorities aiming to piece together the circumstances leading to the inferno.
