La Salle garage fire leaves home uninhabitable, car burned

A garage fire in the 1200 Block of LaHarpe Street in La Salle was extinguished without any injuries early Thursday morning.

La Salle firefighters responded to a detached garage fire at 1:39 a.m., Fire Chief Jerry Janick said. The first engine arrived at 1:42 a.m.

“The detached garage was fully involved,” Janick said in an email. “There was a vehicle parked in front of the garage that was on fire, and the fire was extending to the house.”

The home was occupied at the time of the fire, but no injuries were reported.

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Firefighters responded to a house fire 1200 block of Laharpe Street around 1:30 a.m. Thursday, May 22, 2025. The fire started in the garage and spread to the house. Fire departments from La Salle, Utica, Peru and Oglesby assisted in the blaze. (Scott Anderson)

Crews were able to control the fire within 45 minutes, Janick said. They remained on scene until 4:30 a.m.

Janick was unable to provide a damage estimate, but said the home was not habitable.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the La Salle Fire Department and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

The La Salle Fire department received aid from Peru, Utica, and Oglesby fire departments.