A fire tore through a home on the 900 block of Lathrop Avenue in Forest Park on Nov. 6, leaving the house uninhabitable due to smoke damage.
The blaze started about 6:45 p.m. in the basement of 938 Lathrop Ave., said Forest Park Fire Chief Bob McDermott.
The fire department contained flames to the lower-level, said McDermott, and had the fire under control in less than 15 minutes. There were no injuries, but the two-story, bungalow home suffered heavy smoke damage.
McDermott said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
“We’re kind of looking in the basement area, near a couch. It looks like she did have a space heater,” McDermott said.
He declined to estimate the cost of damages, or time it would take to repair the home.
Francesca’s Fiore restaurant, 7407 Madison St., is accepting drop-off donations for the displaced family. Kohl’s, Walmart, Jewel, Salerno’s and Portillo’s gift cards would be helpful, said Angela Morehouse-Brown, who organized the effort through social media.
Someone will be at the restaurant to accept donations between 10 a.m. and the late evening hours over the next two weeks.
