An off-duty firefighter and a resident rescued a dog after a fire engulfed a garage and numerous vehicles before spreading to a home in Wonder Lake, leaving residents displaced.
The Wonder Lake Fire Protection District responded around 8:58 a.m. Tuesday to the 3300 block of Pleasure Avenue in Wonder Lake.
Wonder Lake Fire Chief Mike Weber said a neighbor initially reported smelling smoke approximately two blocks away.
Multiple 911 callers soon reported seeing a structure fire and the response was upgraded.
Firefighters arrived to find a two-and-a-half-car garage fully involved in flames.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box alarm level for additional fire departments to respond.
Two SUVs and a motorhome near the garage were also on fire, Weber said.
Firefighters initiated a defensive attack by extinguishing a bulk of the fire from the outside before going inside to extinguish the rest.
Weber said a man in his 20s was sleeping in the home at the time of the fire. He woke up to smelling the smoke and escaped.
The man and an off-duty firefighter went into the home to rescue a dog that was still inside.
The garage, which contained propane tanks, grills and six motorcycles, was destroyed, Weber said. The home was also damaged and was deemed uninhabitable.
No injuries were reported. Weber said the cause of the fire is still under investigation but area residents heard a loud noise, possibly thunder, and it is suspected it could have been lightning that started the blaze.
The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office are assisting in the investigation.
Damage was estimated to be $480,000 to the structures and contents.
The American Red Cross was called to assist the three adult residents and the dog with alternative living arrangements.
Weber said firefighters remained on the scene for approximately four hours.
The McHenry, Richmond, Woodstock, Hebron, Antioch, Wauconda, Twin Lakes, Fox Lake, Nunda Rural, Crystal Lake, Cary and Marengo fire departments assisted at the scene or covered Wonder Lake’s fire station.