Police, the state fire marshal and fire department investigators are investigating a suspected arson fire that left a home and two vehicles heavily damaged near Antioch Wednesday evening.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Antioch Fire Protection District responded around 11:50 p.m. Wednesday to the 26200 block of West Forest Court in unincorporated Antioch for a report of a fire.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said a 911 caller reported they heard an explosion and saw their neighbor’s house on fire.
Firefighters arrived to find vehicles engulfed in flames and flames also coming from a house.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the first alarm level to bring additional fire departments to the scene.
Fire crews extinguished the fire, which caused significant damage to the home, Covelli said.
The fire left two vehicles, which were parked outside of the home, destroyed.
Covelli said the homeowner was not home at the time of the fire and nobody was inside the residence.
Evidence was located in the home indicating the fire was suspicious in nature, Covelli said.
Sheriff arson investigators are working with the Antioch Fire Protection District to investigate.
The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal was also notified and responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 847-377-4000.