By Chris Green
The Rockford Register Star
ROCKFORD, Ill. — A dryer fire left a family of four homeless early Thursday morning and two firefighters were injured in the process of extinguishing the blaze.
Blackhawk firefighters responded at 12:10 a.m. and arrived at the one-story house in the 3000 block of Jean Street to find smoke coming out of the front door and flames showing on the back side of the house near the dryer vent.
The occupants of the house, two adults and two children, were not injured.
Firefighters from Blackhawk, New Milford, West Suburban and Stillman Valley battled the fire and the elements for nearly eight hours but were unable to save the house.
The fire originated in a dryer in the basement.
“Basement fires are the scariest things because there is only one way down and one way out,” said Blackhawk Fire Chief Harry Tallacksen. “The fire was eating at the floor of the kitchen and burned through. We had to kind of stay out of the house.”
A Blackhawk firefighter and a West Suburban firefighter were injured when one slipped on the ice and hit his head suffering a concussion and the other slipped on the ice and twisted his knee. Both were treated at an area hospital and released.
The home was deemed a total loss. The American Red Cross is assisting the family with shelter and clothing.
Donations for the family are being accepted at 1322 Banks St.
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