Firefighters battled a fire for hours that left a house fully engulfed in flames and burnt to the ground overnight near McHenry while wind chills were at -30 degrees.
The McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded around 2:11 a.m. Saturday to the 3300 block of North Bayview Lane in unincorporated McHenry in Lake County for a report of a structure fire.
Firefighters arrived in 10 minutes and found a fully engulfed single-family residence, according to McHenry Township Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Chris Kozel.
Kozel said the fire was extending to a detached garage next to the home.
A neighbor reported that the occupants of the house were not home at the time.
Firefighters encountered extreme weather conditions, limited access to the home, a lack of fire hydrants and a large volume of fire, Kozel said.
The difficult conditions prompted an upgraded response through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) which was activated to the box alarm level, bringing in water tankers and additional manpower.
Firefighters took a defensive stance on fighting the fire while enduring wind chills of -30 degrees for nearly three hours, Kozel said.
Kozel said crews were able to save a nearby garage with several cars inside but the residence is a complete loss.
No injuries were reported to any bystanders or firefighters.
The Algonquin-Lake in the Hills, Antioch, Cary, Crystal Lake, Fox Lake, Hebron, Nunda, Richmond, Round Lake, Salem Lakes, Spring Grove, Twin Lakes, Wauconda, Wonder Lake and Woodstock fire departments assisted at the scene or covered calls in McHenry.
The Salvation Army Canteen from Crystal Lake also responded to provide rehab services to firefighters.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the McHenry Township Fire Protection District.