
Fire officials say damage was estimated at over $1 million after a large barn, known for its display of restaurant signage, was left burnt to the ground in an extra-alarm fire near Woodstock.
The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District responded around 10:25 a.m. Monday to the 1600 block of South Rose Farm Road in unincorporated Woodstock for a report of a structure fire.
Fire crews responding reported seeing a large column of smoke in the distance.

Firefighters arrived within six minutes and found a large barn that was completely engulfed in flames, according to Woodstock Fire/Rescue District Communication Specialist Alex Vucha.
Power lines were also down in the roadway at the scene and ComEd was called to mitigate the hazard.
Firefighters deployed several hose lines and began a defensive operation on the structure.

The fire occurred in an area where the closest fire hydrant is over two miles away so fire department tender trucks were requested to haul water to the scene.
The incident was upgraded to the third alarm level of the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS), bringing fire departments from across northern Illinois to the scene.
The downed power lines and strong winds made portions of the barn difficult to access.

No injuries were reported, Vucha said. The barn was used for storage and did not contain any animals.
The barn was known locally for its prominent display of franchise restaurant signage, including McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Subway, Dairy Queen and Buffalo Wild Wings.
The entire barn and its contents were left a total loss, Vucha said.
Firefighters were able to prevent two other structures on the property from catching fire.

Firefighters remained on the scene into Monday afternoon.
It took approximately 90 minutes to bring the fire under control. Overhaul and hotspot mitigation took an additional two hours.
Initial damage estimates were over $1 million.
Vucha said the cause of the fire is not believed to be suspicious but remains under investigation by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and Woodstock Fire/Rescue District.