One person was transported to the hospital after a fire left an apartment uninhabitable and filled a senior living apartment building with heavy smoke in Vernon Hills Monday evening.
The Countryside Fire Protection District responded around 8:40 p.m. Monday to Brookdale Hawthorn Lakes, 10 East Hawthorn Parkway in Vernon Hills, for a report of a structure fire.
Firefighters arrived and encountered heavy smoke conditions on the fourth floor of the building, fire officials said.
Fire crews assisted staff with the extinguishment of the fire and began to ventilate the smoke from the structure.
Fire officials said the apartment where the fire originated was left uninhabitable due to the damage. No other apartments were damaged.
Two occupants were able to evacuate the residence safely prior to the fire department’s arrival.
One of the occupants from the fire unit was transported to the hospital for observation.
“Due to the fast action of staff on site, the fire was contained quickly and only minor damage was incurred,” fire officials said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Countryside Fire Protection District.
The Mundelein, Libertyville, Lake Zurich, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods and Lake Forest fire departments assisted during the incident.
The fire district said residents should know where their fire extinguisher is and how to use it.