Chicago Street house fire displaces mom, 5 children

10/26/2001

A woman and her five children, ages 20 days to 12 years, were displaced when a fire caused $70,000 damage to their two-story house, fire officials said.

The fire, which appears to have been caused by electrical problems, started in a living room wall at 316 Chicago St. Evelyn Duncan, 29, said her 2-year-old daughter, Kara, was sleeping on the living room couch when she awakened and smelled smoke about 10:20 p.m. Wednesday.

The girl went into her mother's bedroom, where Ms. Duncan told her to awaken two of her siblings, ages 10 and 12. Ms. Duncan then got the girls and her twin babies out a back door and to a neighbor's house at 2212 Erie St., where she called 911, Dale Pelz, of the fire investigation unit, said.