A garbage truck driver called 911 after spotting a fire that caused heavy damage to a house near Round Lake and left it uninhabitable Thursday afternoon, fire officials said.
The Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 1:10 p.m. Thursday to the 24900 block of West Clinton Avenue in unincorporated Round Lake for a report of a structure fire.
Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Charley Mitchell said a garbage truck was driving by when the driver noticed smoke and called 911.
Firefighters arrived within four minutes and found heavy smoke coming from the front and rear of a single-family home’s roof.
Crews investigated and found an active fire in the attic space.
Mitchell said firefighters brought the fire under control within approximately 30 minutes.
They remained on the scene to locate, extinguish and overhaul remaining hot spots hidden in the structure due to the significant damage.
The cause of the fire was determined to be an energized electrical event, Mitchell said.
“We are not sure what it exactly was until an electrical engineer investigates further,” he said.
No residents or firefighters were injured in the fire, which left the home uninhabitable.
The house sustained heavy damage but a damage estimate was not immediately available.
The fire district said the community should never leave lithium-ion batteries charging unattended.
“Always plug the charger directly into a wall outlet. Avoid using extension cords, power strips, or adapters,” the district said.
The Grayslake, Fox Lake, Wauconda, Lake Villa, Lake Forest and Gurnee fire departments assisted at the scene.
The McHenry Township and Antioch fire protection districts covered Round Lake’s fire stations during the incident.