A massive three-alarm fire heavily damaged an apartment building and left residents displaced early Wednesday morning in Crystal Lake.
The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department responded at 3:02 a.m. Wednesday to a report of a structure fire in the 500 block of Devonshire Lane.
Six minutes later the first fire crew arrived and found a two-story multi-family apartment style building with flames visible on the roof, Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Chief Paul DeRaedt said.
“Police and fire personnel immediately began to evacuate the residents while other crews worked to put water on the fire,” DeRaedt said. There were no injuries to any of the residents.
A third alarm was requested through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS). The fire was first noticed on the roof and quickly spread the entire length of the building through the attic, DeRaedt said.
Fire crews set up multiple ladder trucks to get water onto the roof and attic. The 24-unit building has been deemed uninhabitable due to fire and water damage.
The fire was declared under control at 5:20 a.m., three hours after it started. The American Red Cross and building management are at the scene working with the displaced residents to provide shelter.
DeRaedt said the cause of the fire is undetermined and under investigation. The exact origin of where the fire started is also unknown so far.