Fire on Oakdale

March 14, 2010 a fire heavily damaged a residence at #66 Oakdale Drive in St. Charles this afternoon. The fire also caused damage to a neighboring house and a pick-up truck in the driveway of that home.

Firefighters were called to the single family home just before 5 p.m. after the resident had reported the garage to be fully engulfed in flames. St. Charles City Firefighters arrived on the scene less than 5 minutes later to find the garage area and a van in a carport area fully involved.

The fire was quickly spreading into the house and began to catch the house next door on fire. An elderly man living at #67 Oakdale Drive was assisted by a neighbor and was able to escape his home without injury. Firefighters quickly extinguished the neighboring homes exterior to protect it from further damage while other firefighters attempted to extinguish the home where the fire started.

Two children and their mother were home at the time of the fire and were able to escape without injury. Two family pets perished in the fire. The Red Cross was able to assist the family who were able to stay with relatives in the area. The fire caused extensive damage to the home and the family’s minivan was a complete loss. Damage is estimated to be over $125,000.

One firefighter suffered a minor burn while battling the blaze which took approximately 30 minutes to bring under control. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but is believed to be accidental.

Central County Fire and Rescue and St. Charles County Ambulance assisted the City of St. Charles Fire Department with the alarm.