Plumbing Repairs Lead to 77th Street House Fire

Fire caused extensive damage to a home on the 1500 block of 77th Street in Darien Wednesday afternoon, fire officials said.

The fire started around 3 p.m. when a spark from plumbing repairs taking place in the basement ignited either insulation or wood within the walls, Fire Inspector Bob Morris said.

Flames quickly spread inside the walls up to the attic, he said. When firefighters opened the ceiling, smoke poured out, leading them to believe it was a large fire that would take hours to extinguish. Morris said the district called for assistance, but crews were able to squelch the blaze in about half an hour. 

No one was injured, Morris said.

“We’re very fortunate this happened in the day,” he said. “If it had happened at night, it could have been a very different picture.” Because the fire spread so rapidly, he said the family might have had only seconds to escape if they were sleeping.

As of 4:30 p.m., firefighters continued to investigate the home to ensure there weren’t any hidden fires. The home is unlivable pending significant reconstruction, Morris said. Investigators don't yet have a dollar estimate for the damage.