Two pets died but residents escaped without injury after a large fire engulfed a Kildeer house Wednesday evening, prompting the response of over a dozen fire departments.
The Lake Zurich Fire Department responded around 5:10 p.m. Wednesday to the 21400 block of North Meadowlark Drive in Kildeer for multiple reports of a structure fire.
Lake Zurich Fire Department Captain Jeff Grant said the first fire unit arrived within five minutes of being dispatched and reported the entire front of the house was heavily involved in smoke and flames.
The fire was extending to the roof, Grant said.
The residents were home at the time and escaped without injury.
A family friend said two family pets died in the fire.
Firefighters performed a coordinated fire attack to extinguish the fire and prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent homes.
The fire was brought under control at 6:05 p.m., Grant said.
Photo: Jimmy Bolf
The home is uninhabitable and the fire remains under investigation by the Lake Zurich Fire Prevention Bureau.
The department reminds residents to install working smoke detectors and practice escape plans.
Grant recommends residents consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in their homes.
The Lake Zurich Fire Department was assisted by the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills, Barrington, Barrington Countryside, Buffalo Grove, Cary, Countryside, Crystal Lake, Fox River Grove, Deerfield, Long Grove, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods, Nunda, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Wheeling and Wauconda fire departments.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Kildeer Police Department and the Citizens Emergency Response team provided traffic control.
The Mundelein, Lake Bluff and Lake Forest fire departments covered the Lake Zurich fire stations during the incident.
Fire safety information is available on the department’s Facebook page. Residents can also call the fire prevention bureau at 847-540-5073 for tips.