Nearly 4,000 gallons of water and 35 gallons of firefighting foam were used to battle a “troublesome” fuel-fed car fire at an unincorporated Woodstock home Friday afternoon, fire officials said.
The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District responded at 12:53 p.m. Friday to the 700 block of North Valley Hill Road in unincorporated Woodstock for a report of a vehicle on fire in a residential driveway.
Firefighters arrived within 10 minutes and encountered a 900-foot driveway leading uphill to the residence, Woodstock Fire/Rescue District Communication Specialist Alex Vucha said.
Once firefighters were able to get up to the residence, they found a vehicle fully engulfed in flames 10 feet away from an attached garage.
“Firefighters quickly deployed two hand lines and began extinguishing the fire,” Vucha said.
“Shortly into the incident, the vehicle’s gas tank began leaking which created a troublesome fuel fed fire,” Vucha added.
Two fire chiefs, one fire apparatus mechanic, one fire engine, one fire truck and two water tenders responded to the fire.
A tow truck was called to lift the front end of the vehicle, allowing firefighters to have better access to the undercarriage.
Firefighters used 35 gallons of firefighting foam and 3800 gallons of water to extinguish the fire, Vucha said.
The fire was fully extinguished at 2:30 p.m. and no injuries were reported.
The house sustained minor damage but remains habitable, Vucha said.
Due to the fluid runoff, fire officials notified the McHenry County Health Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The cause of the fire was not immediately available as it remains under investigation by the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District.