Two passersby ran into a burning apartment building in Wauconda and helped evacuate residents before firefighters arrived to extinguish the fire, which left five units uninhabitable.
The Wauconda Fire District responded around 4:27 p.m. Monday to the 200 block of Wethington Drive in Wauconda for a report of a structure fire.
Firefighters arrived on the scene in four minutes and found flames coming from the second story of an apartment building, fire officials said.
Firefighters began pulling hose lines to extinguish the fire.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box alarm level to bring additional fire departments to the scene.
A resident was treated for smoke inhalation but declined transport to the hospital, fire officials said. All other residents made it out of the building unharmed.
Steve Solimini, a Wauconda resident, was driving to Vernon Hills with his fiancé when his fiancé spotted the fire.
Solimini said he performed a U-turn on Route 176 to drive closer to the fire and investigate.
The man found flames coming from the building and only two people had evacuated at that point.
“I ran through the door and helped evacuate the other three units,” Solimini said, adding that his fiancé helped evacuate the adjacent four units in the connected building.
“When I was in the main foyer of the apartment complex there, flames were coming through his door into the hallway,” Solimini said.
Damage was estimated at approximately $200,000 and the cause of the fire was deemed accidental in nature.
Fire officials said five of the eight units in the complex were left uninhabitable due to fire, smoke and water damage until repairs can be made.
The fire district said residents should ensure their smoke alarms are installed and working properly.
The Lake Zurich, Countryside, Fox Lake, Nunda Rural, Grayslake, Mundelein, Cary, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Barrington and McHenry fire departments assisted at the scene.
Wauconda fire stations were covered by the Mundelein, Barrington Countryside, Woodstock, Fox River Grove and Spring Grove fire departments.