A man was injured and several others escaped from a 3-alarm house fire in Tower Lakes Thursday evening which caused over $250,000 in damage.
The Wauconda Fire District was called at 9:06 p.m. Thursday to the 100 block of South Hills Drive in Tower Lakes for a report of a house fire. Responding fire crews found heavy fire in the rear of the home extending to the roof line.
“A rapid exterior attack was made with a large volume of water to extinguish the bulk of the fire. The fire occurred in an area that does not have fire hydrants which slowed further extinguishment until more apparatus arrived,” Wauconda Fire District officials said.
A Tower Lakes police officer helped evacuate everyone from the home including family pets before firefighters arrived, officials said. The fire was eventually upgraded to a 3rd alarm through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS), which brought in additional firefighters and water to the scene.
Firefighters were able to save valuables in areas of the home not affected by the fire, officials added. Crews remained at the scene for over four hours. Damage to the home is estimated to be over $250,000.
One man was injured and transported to Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington with non-life-threatening injuries. The family was unable to locate one of their dogs that escaped the home but it was found later Friday morning in the woods next to the home.
The residents of the home are staying with relatives nearby as the home was deemed uninhabitable. Fire investigators are working to determine the cause of the fire.
The Wauconda Fire District was assisted by firefighters from Lake Zurich, Barrington-Countryside, Barrington, McHenry, Buffalo Grove, Algonquin, Countryside, Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Fox Lake, Palatine Rural, Palatine, Lake Villa, Grayslake, Round Lake, Woodstock, Marengo, Spring Grove, Richmond, Deerfield, East Dundee, Crystal Lake and Cary.
The Tower Lakes Police Department, Lake County Sheriff and the MESS Canteen also responded to the scene.