One person was injured and residents were left homeless after a fire engulfed the rear of a house and caused major damage in Lake in the Hills Thursday afternoon.
The Huntley Fire Protection District responded around 2:27 p.m. Thursday to the 2600 block of Waterford Lane in Lake in the Hills after receiving 911 calls reporting a house on fire.
Huntley Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Eric Bentley said firefighters arrived to find heavy fire conditions at the rear of the home.
The fire was extending into the attic of the single-family, two-story residence.
The incident was upgraded to a Working Fire response due to the volume of fire and the need for additional fire personnel, Bentley said.
Firefighters immediately initiated a fire attack by deploying hose lines from the first-arriving engine.
Fire crews entered the home to extinguish the fire while additional firefighters worked from the exterior.
Firefighters also protected a neighboring residence after the intense heat from the fire caused damage to its siding, Bentley said.
Firefighters extinguished the bulk of the exterior fire within approximately 15 minutes.
Bentley said the fire continued to spread through concealed attic spaces and into an upstairs bedroom, eventually extending through the roof.
Fire crews brought the fire under control in approximately 60 minutes with the assistance of additional firefighters.
Firefighters remained on the scene extinguishing hotspots and addressing flare-ups before investigators were able to safely enter the structure.
Two residents and their dog were home at the time of the fire and escaped prior to the fire department’s arrival, Bentley said.
A homeowner was evaluated by paramedics at the scene for a minor injury.
The home sustained heavy fire and water damage and has been deemed uninhabitable.
Bentley said the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Huntley Fire Protection District.
The fire district thanked the numerous agencies that assisted at the scene and provided station coverage during the incident.
“We would also like to recognize the Lake in the Hills Police Department and the SEECOM 9-1-1 Telecommunicators for their assistance and support throughout the response,” the district said.
“Their combined efforts ensured adequate resources were available to safely mitigate the emergency while maintaining emergency response coverage for the Huntley community,” they added.