Firefighters rescued an elderly man after multiple fire departments were called to a fire that broke out on the roof of a house in Lake Forest during thunderstorms Friday morning.
The Lake Forest Fire Department responded around 9:35 a.m. Friday to the 1300 block of Middlefork Drive in Lake Forest for a report of a structure fire.
Lake Forest Deputy Fire Chief Chris Roberts said a neighbor initially called 911 to report the fire.
Firefighters arrived and found flames coming from the roof of a large two-story, single-family residence near the intersection of Middlefork Drive and Jensen Drive.
They learned one occupant was still inside the home and fire crews quickly entered the residence to safely retrieve the occupant, Roberts said.
The elderly male resident did not require transport to the hospital and was uninjured.
Fire crews worked from both the interior and exterior of the home to extinguish the fire.
Roberts said the fire was brought under control a short time after firefighters arrived.
Residents said the fire broke out around the same time thunderstorms went through the area. It is unclear whether a lightning strike caused the fire, which was reported to be at the peak of the roof.
Roberts said the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Lake Forest Fire Department and it is unclear whether the home is still habitable.
The Lake Forest Fire Department was assisted at the scene by the Highland Park, Deerfield, Countryside, North Chicago and Lake Bluff fire departments.