A cat was found alive hiding inside a home that caught on fire and resulted in two other homes being damaged in Wonder Lake Sunday afternoon, fire officials said.
The Wonder Lake Fire Protection District responded around 1:25 p.m. Sunday to the 8400 block of Shady Lane in Wonder Lake for a report of a structure fire. Multiple 911 calls were received reporting the fire.
Wonder Lake Fire Chief Mike Weber said crews arrived to find heavy flames coming from the rear of a single-story ranch home.
The family escaped from the home with their dog and one of their cats but reported a second cat was still inside the home.
Firefighters conducted a transitional attack on the fire by working to extinguish it from the outside and then moving inside to continue extinguishing it, Weber said.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box alarm level to bring additional fire equipment and manpower to the scene.
The fire was brought under control in less than 15 minutes after firefighters arrived.
Weber said an initial search of the home did not reveal the missing cat but firefighters located the animal alive and hiding in the home when they were conducting overhaul operations.
Approximately 3,000 gallons of water were used during the incident. No injuries were reported to anyone.
The home where the fire originated sustained damage to the four-season room as well as the master bedroom and the attic, Weber said.
The residence, which also sustained smoke damage throughout, was deemed uninhabitable.
Both houses adjacent to the first home sustained damage, Weber said. Siding melted on the two homes but they remain habitable.
A damage estimate was not immediately available. Fire crews remained at the scene until just after 5 p.m.
The Hebron, Richmond, Spring Grove, McHenry, Woodstock, Antioch, Wauconda, Nunda Rural, Twin Lakes, Fox Lake, Crystal Lake and Woodstock fire departments responded to the scene along with The Salvation Army Canteen of Crystal Lake.
The Cary and Marengo fire departments covered Wonder Lake’s fire station.
The American Red Cross was called to the scene to assist the displaced family with living arrangements and personal items.
“The Wonder Lake Fire Department would like to thank all the departments that assisted with this fire, as well as the community, who—as always—was there to provide clothing, food, and essential supplies for the affected family,” Weber said.
Weber said the cause of the fire remains under investigation and it is believed to have originated in the four-season room.