Two people were injured and transported to the hospital after flames erupted from a house, leaving the residents homeless, near McHenry Tuesday afternoon, fire officials said.
The McHenry Township Fire Protection District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday to the 1200 block of North Chapel Hill Road in unincorporated McHenry for a report of a structure fire.
McHenry Township Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Chris Kozel said firefighters arrived within two minutes of the call.
They found a single-family residence with flames showing from a front window.
Four occupants escaped the home as the fire department arrived on the scene, Kozel said.
Fire crews immediately began an aggressive attack on the fire by pulling hose lines inside and searching the residence for any additional occupants.
The fire was brought under control in less than 10 minutes.
Firefighters contained the fire to the living room and kitchen but there was extensive smoke and water damage throughout the rest of the residence.
A male occupant and a female occupant, one of whom was elderly, were transported by ambulances to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
No firefighters were injured during the incident and the home was deemed uninhabitable
The American Red Cross was requested to assist four residents with alternative living arrangements. The Salvation Army Canteen responded to provide refreshments to the firefighters.
The Spring Grove, Fox Lake, Wonder Lake, Round Lake, Richmond, Cary, Crystal Lake, Nunda Rural, Wauconda and Antioch fire departments assisted at the scene or covered calls for McHenry.
The cause of the fire, which is believed to have originated near the front room, remains under investigation by the McHenry Township Fire Protection District and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal.