A fire, possibly caused by batteries in a children’s toy, resulted in significant damage estimated at $100,000 to a garage behind a house in Wauconda, fire officials said.
The Wauconda Fire District and Wauconda Police Department responded around 2:47 p.m. Friday to the 300 block of Osage Street in Wauconda for a report of a structure fire.
Wauconda Fire District Battalion Chief Scott Schrayer said fire crews arrived on the scene within three and a half minutes.
They found an active fire in a detached garage next to a single-family, two-story house.
Firefighters pulled hose lines and began working to extinguish the fire, which was declared under control within 20 minutes, Schrayer said.
There was fire and smoke damage throughout the garage and it has been deemed uninhabitable.
No injuries were reported to any residents or firefighters, Schrayer said.
The Countryside Fire Protection District, Barrington Fire Department, Lake Zurich Fire Department, Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District, Grayslake Fire Protection District, Fox Lake Fire Protection District and the McHenry Township Fire Protection District assisted during the incident.
Two separate calls involving requests for ambulances occurred in Wauconda during the fire.
The Grayslake Fire Protection District and the Barrington Fire Department handled those calls.
Schrayer said it is possible that some charging batteries for children’s toys started the fire but investigators are not certain.
There were no vehicles inside the garage at the time of the fire.
The damage to the building was estimated to be approximately $100,000 and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.