Elizabeth Dako cant hold back the tears as she watches firefighters out out a blaze that destoyed part of her Duke Street home and killed the family cat. Julie Matus/London Free Press)
A London family escaped serious injury in a blaze that caused about $35,000 damage to their home Sunday.
Charles and Kathy Dako of 50 Duke St. were doing yard work behind their two-storey home when they noticed heavy smoke coming from the attic vents.
They rent the second storey to Charles’ mother. Elizabeth Dako, 54, who had just returned from church and was upstairs when the fire broke out about noon.
“I noticed it (smoke) coming out of the clothes closet,” said a tearful Elizabeth, whose cat died in the blaze. “It was so sudden. I feel sick. It’s a terrible shock. Everything I have is in there.”
Charles headed upstairs to help his mother, who was on her way to alert the family. Kathy, meanwhile, grabbed their one-year-old daughter, Lindsay, who was napping the main floor of the house and called police.
“I thought it was game over when I saw the smoke,” said Charles, who cut his forehead trying to get upstairs. “It was already coming out the side vents. It was pretty bad up there.”
Platoon Chief Bruch Shannon said the fire started in the attic but the cause hadn’t been determined and an investigation will be conducted today. He said the blaze was “tricky” to put out because the flames were in partitions behind the walls. The house was hit hard by smoke and water damage.
The Dakos, who have insurance, had lived in the house for two years and recently replaced the roof.
Source: London Free Press
