Fire officials are investigating after an outbuilding was found fully engulfed in flames on a property near Wauconda that has been vacant for years.
The Wauconda Fire District and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 9 p.m. Friday to the 27500 block of West Bonner Road in unincorporated Wauconda for a structure fire.
A person driving called 911 after spotting smoke and flames, according to Wauconda Fire District Division Chief and Deputy Fire Marshal Mike DaValle.
The 911 caller initially gave dispatchers a location of Route 176 and Darrell Road and was unsure of the exact area.
It was determined the fire was actually in the 27500 block of West Bonner Road.
Firefighters located an old chicken coop outbuilding that was approximately 15 feet by 15 feet in size, DaValle said.
The structure was well involved in flames and was approximately 75 feet away from the old house that sits on the property.
The structures on the property date back to the 1920s and the property has been abandoned for at least 10 years now, DaValle said.
Firefighters verified that no residents or pets were on the property.
The fire was extinguished using tank water from the fire engines as well as a water tender truck that was brought in by the Fox Lake Fire Protection District.
Approximately 3,500 gallons of water were used to extinguish the fire.
The Nunda-Rural Fire Protection District stood by at the scene with additional tender water that ended up not being used.
DaValle said the fire was extinguished quickly without incident and no injuries were reported.
The structure was a total loss with a damage estimate of $5,000. There was no damage to the adjacent residential farmhouse.
DaValle said the cause of the fire is currently undetermined and incendiary circumstances have not been ruled out.
The property was not receiving propane or electricity service and there were no witnesses except for the people passing by that called 911.
“The property involved is along a very secluded section of Bonner Road with no artificial lighting nearby. The property was not secured leading to the possibility that persons could have entered the property illegally,” DaValle said.
The incident remains under investigation by the Wauconda Fire District and Lake County Sheriff’s Office.