Dozens of fire departments were called after an explosion in an Antioch home caused flames and smoke to engulf the structure Saturday afternoon.
The Antioch Fire Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 2:47 p.m. Saturday to the 26600 block of West Route 173 in unincorporated Antioch for a report of a structure fire.
Lake County Sheriff Spokesman Lt. Christopher Covelli said that sheriff’s deputies arrived to find a home fully engulfed in flames.
An investigation shows the fire started after a boiler in the residence exploded, Covelli said.
The explosion created a large hole in the side of the house and started the fire.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the third alarm level to bring additional manpower and equipment to the scene.
Two occupants who were inside the home escaped without injuries, Covelli said, adding that the fire is not considered suspicious.
Firefighters from across Lake County and McHenry County responded to the scene along with firefighters from Wisconsin departments.
There are no fire hydrants in the area so firefighters had to haul water to the scene by using fire trucks called tenders, which carry a large amount of water.
Route 173 near Lake Avenue was closed for several hours as crews battled the fire.