
Firefighters battled an extra-alarm fire Saturday morning that destroyed a Crystal Lake home after its garage became engulfed in flames, fire officials said.
The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 11:16 a.m. Saturday to the 6500 block of Scott Lane in unincorporated Crystal Lake for a report of a garage fire.
Crystal Lake Fire Chief Paul DeRaedt said one of the occupants of the residence discovered the fire and called 911.
Firefighters arrived within six minutes and found heavy fire conditions in the attached garage, DeRaedt said.
The fire then extended into the attic of the home. All five occupants, including a dog, made it out of the home safely.
The home is in an area that does not have fire hydrants. The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the third alarm to bring fire trucks carrying large amounts of water to the scene.
The entire structure was deemed a total loss estimated at $375,000 DeRaedt said. There were no injuries to any firefighters or residents.
An initial investigation showed the fire may have started in a lawn tractor that was used just before the fire started.
The Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department was assisted by several area fire departments along with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and McHenry County Planning and Development.
Fire investigators from Algonquin-Lake in the Hills and Cary are assisting Crystal Lake with the investigation.