A woman is in critical condition after being rescued from a house fire near Antioch Monday morning that also left a juvenile hospitalized, fire officials said.
The Antioch Fire Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 9:07 a.m. Monday to the 26300 block of West Forest Court in unincorporated Antioch for a report of a structure fire.
Two residents were reportedly trapped inside the home, according to Antioch Fire Chief Jon Cokefair.
Firefighters arrived in six minutes and found smoke coming from all windows of the single-story residential structure.
Firefighters initiated fire suppression operations and began a rapid search of the residence.
Firefighters encountered heavy heat and smoke conditions with little active fire.
During their search, an adult female was found inside the residence and they were rescued, Cokefair said.
Another occupant who made the 911 call, a juvenile male, was able to evacuate the residence prior to fire department arrival with burns to his feet, Cokefair said.
Paramedics transported both occupants to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for treatment.
The female is in critical condition and the juvenile is in fair condition, Cokefair said.
Due to the area having no fire hydrants, the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box alarm level, bringing numerous fire apparatus, including tenders, from nearby departments.
Firefighters also had to connect a supply line to a fire hydrant in downtown Antioch, Cokefair said.
No firefighters were injured and fire investigators, including the Illinois State Fire Marshal, were called to the scene due to the severity of the injuries.
The fire was extinguished in around 20 minutes, Cokefair said.
Fire investigators continue to work on determining the cause of the fire.
Cokefair said the house does not appear to have working smoke detectors.
He encourages residents to have working smoke detectors to provide early warning in case of fire.
“We really encourage people – smoke detectors save lives. Make sure you have your smoke detectors in your house,” Cokefair said.
The Antioch Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Salem Lakes, Spring Grove, Bristol, Fox Lake, Round Lake, Newport Township, Lake Villa, McHenry, Twin Lakes and Grayslake fire departments.
The Pleasant Prairie, Lake Zurich, Waukegan and Great Lakes fire departments provided coverage for the Antioch Fire Department during the incident.