Firefighters from over a dozen fire departments were called after a wind-driven brush fire burned approximately 15 acres of land near McHenry Sunday afternoon.
The McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded around 2:35 p.m. Sunday to the 1100 block of South Crystal Lake Road in unincorporated McHenry for a report of a brush fire.
McHenry Township Fire Protection District Acting Battalion Chief Michael Kempster said firefighters arrived in four minutes and found an active brush fire in a field behind a home and a barn.
Strong west winds pushed the fire quickly and additional firefighters were needed to help control the blaze.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the box alarm level to bring additional wildland firefighting personnel and equipment to the scene.
Firefighters worked for approximately an hour and a half to bring the fire under control, Kempster said.
The fire burned approximately 15 acres, Kempster said. No injuries were reported to any firefighters or civilians.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office shut down Crystal Lake Road in both directions while firefighters worked at the scene.
The Antioch, Beach Park, Cary, Countryside, Crystal Lake, Fox Lake, Fox River Grove, Grayslake, Gurnee, Lake Villa, Lake Zurich, Newport, Spring Grove, Wauconda, Wonder Lake and Woodstock fire departments assisted at the scene or covered McHenry fire stations.
Officials did not say whether the fire was believed to be suspicious in nature or not.
The cause remains under investigation by the McHenry Township Fire Protection District.