No one was injured but residents were displaced after a fire engulfed a house and damaged a second house in Vernon Hills Monday afternoon, fire officials said.
The Countryside Fire Protection District and Vernon Hills Police Department responded around 12 p.m. Monday to the 1100 block of Dearborn Lane in Vernon Hills for a report of a structure fire.
Firefighters arrived on the scene to find flames showing from a residence.
Battalion Chief Russ Bach said the fire was on the exterior of a two-story home.
The fire extended into the attached garage and also into the upper level of the home.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box alarm level to bring additional fire departments to the scene.
Fire crews also worked to address a neighboring home that was damaged by the heat of the fire, Bach said.
The first house was deemed uninhabitable and the American Red Cross was assisting the occupants who were displaced.
No injuries were reported to any residents or firefighters. A damage estimate was not immediately available.
The Mundelein, Libertyville, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods, Long Grove and Lake Forest fire departments assisted.
The Countryside Fire Protection District said they urge residents to make sure their smoke detectors are working. “Working smoke detectors save lives,” the fire district said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Bach said.