No animals were inside a large barn that was left a complete loss after an extra-alarm fire left it engulfed in flames near McHenry Friday evening.
The Nunda Rural Fire Protection District responded around 7:51 p.m. Friday to the 2800 block of Barreville Road in unincorporated McHenry on the border of Prairie Grove for a report of a structure fire.
Nunda Rural Fire Protection District Communication Specialist Alex Vucha said firefighters arrived on the scene within six minutes.
They found a large 60-foot by 100-foot barn that was heavily involved with smoke and flames.
An immediate request for additional fire departments was made by activating the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) to the second alarm level.
The rural area lacked fire hydrants which prompted an upgraded request to the third alarm for additional water resources, Vucha said.
Tender operations were established at the roadway along Barreville Road.
Firefighters initiated defensive operations by surrounding the barn and using hose lines to extinguish the fire.
The fire was brought under control within 90 minutes, Vucha said.
The barn was unoccupied and used as a storage barn on the property. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Vucha said the structure and contents are a complete loss. Initial damage estimates are still being evaluated.
Barreville Road was shut down for approximately three hours to accommodate emergency vehicles and operations.
The Nunda Rural Fire Protection District was assisted by approximately 20 neighboring fire departments that either responded to the scene or covered other calls in the area.
The origin and cause of the fire remain under investigation by the Nunda Rural Fire Protection District.