Authorities say residents were displaced and a firefighter was injured after a house fire that prompted the response of over a dozen fire departments near Woodstock.
The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District responded around 5:42 p.m. Saturday to the 14600 block of Perkins Road in unincorporated Woodstock for a report of a residential structure fire.
Firefighters arrived to find a large volume of flames coming from an attached garage of a two-story residence, according to Woodstock Fire/Rescue District Communication Specialist Alex Vucha.
Vucha said working smoke detectors alerted two occupants of the growing fire.
The residents escaped unharmed prior to the fire department’s arrival.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated due to the complexity of the incident and the outside heat index of nearly 90 degrees.
An aggressive interior and exterior attack prevented the fire from spreading further into the house, Vucha said.
The fire was considered under control within 35 minutes.
Overhaul and investigations continued for an additional 90 minutes. 14 fire departments assisted Woodstock during the incident.
The house is considered uninhabitable until repairs can be made, Vucha said.
A firefighter was evaluated on the scene for heat exhaustion but did not require transport to the hospital.
The American Red Cross is assisting three occupants with temporary housing.
Vucha said the fire is not believed to be suspicious in nature but the cause remains under investigation by the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District.
“Working smoke detectors save lives! The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District is participating in a joint effort with the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance to provide free smoke detectors to our community,” Vucha said.
Smoke detectors are installed in residents’ homes to help reduce the number of fire-related deaths as part of the program.
The detectors are free of charge but must be installed by the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District.