Approximately 90 firefighters from throughout Lake County were called to battle a large barn fire that destroyed the structure in Mundelein Wednesday evening.
The Mundelein Fire Department responded around 5:32 p.m. Wednesday to the 3800 block of West Route 60 in Mundelein for a report of a barn fire.
Mundelein Deputy Fire Chief Jeremy Lockwood said firefighters arrived to find a fully involved barn fire.
The fire presented a direct exposure to an adjacent hoop-style hay barn with heavy machinery parked inside.
The property is located in an area that does not have fire hydrants close by.
Lockwood said water supply and scene access presented challenges to initial arriving firefighters.
Firefighters went into defensive mode and used fire hoses to protect structures around the barn.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box alarm level to bring water tender trucks to the scene. The alarm was later upgraded to the second level as the incident progressed.
Mutual aid fire departments established a rural water supply and assisted in the initial firefighting operations.
Approximately 2,500 feet of large diameter supply hose was used to establish a secure water source for firefighting operations.
The fire was reported under control at approximately 6:30 p.m. No residents or animals were injured as a result of the fire.
Beelow Farms said in a statement that all of their animals are safe but their shop was destroyed along with part of a storage shed.
“We wanted to thank everyone who reached out about the fire last night… we are thankful for all of the fire departments in Lake County who came to our aid. We appreciate all of the love and support,” the statement said.
Lockwood said damage estimates were not yet available and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Lake County Fire Investigators Strike Team and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal were requested to aid in the investigation.
The fire was fought by 90 firefighters staffing seven fire engines, two aerial ladders, one squad, three ambulances, seven water tenders and nine chief cars.
Firefighters from Antioch, Countryside, Lake Zurich, Grayslake, Gurnee, Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Libertyville, Long Grove, Buffalo Grove, Newport, McHenry, Round Lake, Wauconda, Fox Lake, Lake Villa, Nunda Rural and Waukegan assisted.