A fundraiser has been started for an Ingleside family after two girls, ages 5 and 8, died in a house fire that left several other family members seriously injured Thursday evening.
The Fox Lake Fire Protection District and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 10:50 p.m. to the 35000 block of North Hunt Avenue in Ingleside for a structure fire.
Firefighters arrived and found the two-story residence heavily engulfed in flames, according to Fox Lake Fire Protection Fire District Deputy Chief Ed Lescher.
Three adults who escaped the home sustained injuries and a fourth adult had to be rescued by firefighters.
One of the adults was transported by a medical helicopter to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood in critical condition with burn and smoke inhalation injuries.
The other three adults were transported by ambulance to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville and later transferred to Loyola University Medical Center.
Firefighters found two girls, ages 5 and 8, deceased inside the house on the second floor, Lescher said.
According to a GoFundMe page, organized by Bridget Lavelle, the Evans family resided in the home.
Their two daughters, Elizabeth, 8, and Autumn, 5, were the ones found dead, Lavelle said. Their mother Katie, grandfather Scott, and grandmother Dori remain at Loyola Medical Center in critical but stable condition.
Their father, Teig, and brother, Cory, 17, are in stable condition. The family’s dog and cat both died in the blaze.
The fundraiser has already raised $25,000 within two hours of being created.
“Please help this family in their time of need. They will have many obstacles to overcome in the wake of this great tragedy, any help in this time of need is appreciated,” Lavelle said in the GoFundMe.
Lake County Sheriff Spokesman Sgt. Christopher Covelli said that deputies who arrived first at the scene tried to make entry to the home but couldn’t due to the intensity of the fire.
Deputies were able to assist the adults who made it out of the home and brought them to safety away from the flames.
The sheriff’s office sent detectives and an arson investigator to the scene. The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal and their arson canine also responded to the scene to assist in the investigation.
Covelli said there is no indication to believe the fire was arson. The origin and circumstances of the fire remain under investigation by the Fox Lake Fire Protection District, Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Illinois State Fire Marshal.