Lake County firefighters battled two separate fires hours apart Sunday, one of which destroyed a garage in Mundelein and another that damaged a vacant home in North Barrington.
The Mundelein Fire Department responded around 3:13 p.m. Sunday to the 0-100 block of North Idlewild Avenue in Mundelein for a report of a structure fire.
Mundelein Fire Chief Bill Lark said firefighters arrived in less than five minutes to find a fully engulfed detached three-car garage.
Multiple vehicles were also on fire and firefighters began performing an offensive fire attack.
Crews had water on the fire within a minute and a half of arrival, Lark said.
Two hose lines were used to extinguish the fire and ensure surrounding buildings were not affected.
Lark said the fire was brought under control in approximately 20 minutes, with crews remaining on the scene for overhaul and fire investigation.
A damage estimate was not immediately available and the cause of the fire is still under investigation. No injuries were reported.
The Mundelein Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Countryside, Libertyville, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods, Lake Zurich, Grayslake and Round Lake fire departments.
The Deerfield, Gurnee, Lake Forest and Lake Villa fire departments covered Mundelein fire stations.
Less than three hours later, the Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Department was called around 5:45 p.m. to the 200 block of Kimberly Road in North Barrington for a report of a structure fire.
Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Chief David Pilgard said fire crews arrived within three minutes to find flames showing from the rear deck and spreading to the house.
Two hose lines were used, one of which was brought to the rear of the home to extinguish the deck and the other brought into the home to stop the spread of the fire.
A neighbor who called 911 after spotting the fire reported an elderly woman was possibly still inside the home, Pilgard said.
Fire crews searched the home and found no one inside. Pilgard said it was learned the elderly woman no longer lives in the home, which is vacant.
The home is not a total loss but will need some repairs. “Crews made a great stop of the fire,” Pilgard said.
The house is located in an area that does not have fire hydrants and the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box level for additional water tenders to the scene.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation and a damage estimate was not immediately available.