A family was left homeless and some pets were rescued by firefighters after a fire caused significant damage to their home in Fox Lake and destroyed their belongings.
The Fox Lake Fire Protection District responded around 6:44 a.m. Sunday to the 500 block of Kingston Boulevard in Fox Lake for a report of a structure fire.
Fox Lake Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Sam Santiago said crews arrived and found a two-story, single-family home with smoke showing from the second story.
The incident was reported to 911 by the homeowner.
The home is located in an area without fire hydrants and fire department tender trucks were called, Santiago said.
Firefighters entered the home and were able to extinguish the fire relatively quickly.
The fire was contained to the kitchen area, which is where it originated, but smoke damage was present throughout the home, Santiago said.
Santiago said some pets were rescued and it is unknown if any died.
The family that lives at the residence was home at the time of the fire. They were able to self-evacuate prior to the fire department’s arrival.
No residents or firefighters were injured, Santiago said. Fire crews remained on the scene for two hours and the home was deemed uninhabitable.
McHenry resident and family friend Megan Grassel said that Venessa Poland and her husband Steve woke up to their home on fire.
Grassel said the couple and their pets were safe but the damage was “catastrophic.”
She said the fire was traced back to a refrigerator malfunction and the entire home was damaged.
“Every room was destroyed — ceilings collapsed, insulation ripped open, belongings burned or water-damaged beyond repair,” Grassel said.
The family is staying at a hotel until they can locate a rental home. It could be months before their house is restored following the fire.
“This fire comes after years of fighting through other challenges — including Venessa’s battle with cancer — and yet, through it all, she’s remained humble, grateful, and unwilling to ask for help herself,” Grassel said.
A GoFundMe account was created to help the family with temporary housing costs, clothing and essentials, pet care and household items.
Poland said she is overwhelmed by the show of support from the community. “This is going to be a long and difficult road, and accepting that hasn’t been easy.”