Spike O'Dell's house burns to ground, house-sitter has some 'splainin' to do

I noticed this story last week, but here are some new details as well as a picture. Spike O'Dell began his radio career in the Quad Cities at KSTT while still working as a security officer for International Harvester. He latter worked for KIIK in Davenport before moving to the bigs in Chicago where he's worked at WGN for the past 18 years.

AURORA (AP) Investigators say charcoal embers from a grill caused the fire that destroyed the three-story home of WGN Radio personality Spike O'Dell.

The June 23 fire in the Chicago suburb of Aurora happened while O'Dell was out of town. It destroyed everything but the home's garage and killed the O'Dell family dog.

A friend watching the house while O'Dell and his wife were on an Alaskan cruise used charcoal in a gas grill at the house when he ran out of propane.

Fire Marshal Jack Smith says some of the still-hot embers fell through the bottom of the grill and onto mulch, which ignited several hours later.

The house-sitter was at work when the fire began.

I would NOT want to be that house-sitter.
And what did we learn today class? That's right. Don't use charcoal in a gas grill, and don't let an idiot house-sit.