No one was injured, but residents were displaced after a home filled up with smoke and was heavily damaged in a fire in Round Lake Beach Wednesday morning.
The Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District, Round Lake Beach Police Department and multiple automatic aid fire departments responded around 10:55 a.m. Wednesday to the 1000 block of Brentwood Drive in Round Lake Beach for a report of a structure fire.
Firefighters arrived and found heavy smoke coming from a small two-story home, Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District Lt. Shane Page, the acting shift commander, said.
The homeowner was outside and told firefighters that his home was filling up with smoke and that no one else was inside.
Crews deployed two hose lines and entered the home to find heavy smoke conditions.
A supply hose line was connected to a fire hydrant at the corner of Brentwood Drive and Mayfield Drive for a positive water supply.
Page said that the fire was in the walls of the home, which firefighters had a difficult time locating due to the reduced visibility.
A box alarm through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was requested, bringing in extra resources from surrounding departments both to the scene and to the Greater Round Lake fire stations.
Crews eventually found the fire and quickly brought it under control in around 20 minutes after arriving.
Firefighters also searched the home and confirmed it was all clear, Page said.
Page added that a water line had ruptured and was filling the basement with water.
The Round Lake Beach Public Works Department responded to shut off water to the home.
Firefighters also faced hazards from live power lines while conducting overhaul operations in the backyard, so they had to wait for ComEd field employees to respond and shut off the power.
The house sustained heavy damage and is uninhabitable, displacing an unspecified number of residents.
No injuries were reported.
The bulk of the damage was in the basement and rear of the home, Page said.
Damage restoration crews and the American Red Cross were notified to help provide relief for the family.
During the incident, first responders were inundated with multiple other medical calls in the Greater Round Lake area.
A fire engine from the Countryside Fire Protection District and ambulances from the Gurnee, McHenry Township and Fox Lake fire departments provided coverage and responded to those calls, Page said.
The Fox Lake, Antioch, Grayslake, Wauconda, Lake Forest, Libertyville and Spring Grove fire departments assisted at the scene.
The Round Lake Beach Police Department provided traffic control and shut down a portion of Brentwood Drive.
The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District, but it appears to be an accident.