A family was left homeless and firefighters unsuccessfully attempted to rescue a dog, which remains missing, after a fire left a house and its contents a total loss in Cary Wednesday afternoon.
The Cary Fire Protection District responded around 3:55 p.m. Wednesday to the 1300 block of Mulberry Lane in Cary for a report of a residential structure fire.
Cary Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said an occupant of the home called 911 to report they returned to the house and encountered smoke and flames inside the home.
Firefighters arrived on scene within five minutes and found smoke showing from the front of the two-story, single-family residential structure.
The incident was upgraded to a Working Fire response for additional firefighters to the scene, Vucha said.
Initial fire crews deployed hose lines and made an aggressive interior attack on the fire.
They encountered heavy smoke conditions and signs of partial collapse on the first floor.
Conditions on the inside deteriorated and structural concerns increased so firefighters evacuated the structure. Operations transitioned to a defensive strategy from the outside, Vucha said.
Ground ladders were placed to a second-floor window in an attempt to locate and rescue a reported missing dog.
Firefighters made entry into a second-floor bedroom but the animal was not located.
Vucha said two ladder trucks were positioned and began flowing water from above to limit fire spread and protect surrounding homes.
The fire was brought under control within approximately two hours, with firefighters remaining on the scene for an additional hour to conduct overhaul operations and continue flowing water to fully extinguish remaining hot spots.
The home and its contents are considered a complete loss. No injuries to firefighters or residents were reported but the dog remains missing.
The residents are receiving assistance from other family members as the home is uninhabitable, Vucha said.
The Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District, McHenry Township Fire Protection District, Fox River Grove Fire Protection District, Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department, Nunda Rural Fire Protection District and the Salvation Army Canteen assisted at the scene.
The Barrington Fire Department and Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District provided fire station coverage.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Cary Fire Protection District.