Improperly discarded fireworks are believed to have caused an extra-alarm fire that destroyed a home, leaving it partially collapsed, in Wadsworth Friday morning.
The Gurnee Fire Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 12:50 a.m. Friday to the 37700 block of North Charlotte Drive in Wadsworth for a report of a structure fire.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy flames showing from a two-story single-family home.
Three occupants and pets who were home at the time were able to escape unharmed, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
The fire occurred in a neighborhood where there are no fire hydrants nearby and fire department tender trucks had to haul water to the scene.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box alarm level and then upgraded to the second alarm level for additional fire departments to respond.
Firefighters worked for several hours to bring the fire under control. The house was deemed a total loss, Covelli said.
Part of the house collapsed and a tow winch was later used to remove parts of the garage to expose hidden fire.
By around 5 a.m., firefighters remained on the scene as some fire was still active under the rubble. No injuries were reported.
Covelli said the occupants of the home were igniting explosive fireworks near the residence earlier in the evening.
One of the residents confirmed at the scene that he and his brother had been lighting fireworks earlier in the night.
They had thrown away the remnants into a garbage bin next to the garage which later caught fire, the resident said.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said that the community should be aware that most fireworks in Illinois are illegal.
“Every year, deputies respond to calls where people have been critically injured or where structures have burned to the ground, due to illegally used fireworks,” Covelli said.
“Please leave fireworks to professionals who have obtained the necessary permits, after their safety plans have been approved,” he added.