Residents were able to escape without injury after a fire broke out and caused significant damage to a house in Fox Lake, leaving it uninhabitable, fire officials said.
The Fox Lake Fire Protection District responded around 10:30 p.m. Monday to the 100 block of Wildwood Drive in Fox Lake for a report of a structure fire.
Fox Lake Fire Chief Edward Lescher said firefighters arrived to find a working fire in a two-story single-family house after the residents called 911.
Smoke and flames were coming from the south side of the exterior of the house running along the chimney chase.
Fire crews pulled hose lines and extinguished the exterior portion of the fire before going inside the home, Lescher said.
They found flames and smoke on the first floor coming from the fireplace area, extending down into the crawl space.
Firefighters worked to extinguish the fire and check for hot spots.
Lescher said the fire was extinguished in approximately 15 minutes. Crews spent an hour checking for fire extension and for hidden fires.
Overhaul operations took an additional half an hour.
The house sustained significant damage along the south side, both inside and outside, Lescher said.
A damage estimate was not immediately available but the home was deemed uninhabitable.
The residents were able to evacuate prior to the fire department’s arrival. No injuries were reported to any residents, pets or firefighters.
The Round Lake, Wauconda and Spring Grove fire departments assisted at the scene while the Lake Villa and Antioch fire departments covered Fox Lake fire stations.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Fox Lake Fire Protection District.