Local and state authorities are investigating a suspected arson fire at a pub in Beach Park where multiple people were seen fleeing the building early Friday morning.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Beach Park Fire Department initially responded around 5:55 a.m. Friday to Social Pub Inc., 37895 North Sheridan Road in Beach Park, for a fire alarm activation.
While deputies and firefighters were responding, a person driving by called 911 and reported the building was on fire, according to fire department radio traffic.
The call was upgraded to a structure fire, which brought in a slew of fire apparatus from nearby departments.
Crews arrived to find the building engulfed in flames.
A box alarm through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was requested, which brought in even more firefighting resources from departments in Lake and Kenosha counties.
The fire was eventually brought under control, and the entire building sustained heavy damage.
Deputies and fire investigators gathered evidence that points to arson.
“While conducting their investigation, sheriff’s deputies learned someone saw several people fleeing from the building around the time the fire began,” Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli said.
Several fire investigators, Lake County sheriff’s detectives and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal responded to the scene.
Investigators appeared to be focusing heavily on the north side of the building.
It appeared that the owners of the pub were at the scene and speaking with investigators.
Firefighters remained on scene throughout the morning to conduct overhaul and salvage operations, while being careful not to contaminate any potential evidence, like broken glass, a Lake & McHenry County Scanner reporter saw at the scene.
Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Roxana Stancioiu and her four-legged partner, K-9 Drako, were seen searching a wooded area off of Sheridan Road about a tenth of a mile north of the pub, the reporter saw.
Sheridan Road between West Yorkhouse Road and West Howard Street was shut down while crews worked the scene.
The road was reopened at around 8:15 a.m. The Lake County Sheriff’s Auxiliary Deputy Unit assisted with traffic control.
Investigators and damage restoration crews are still on scene as of late Friday morning.
The Beach Park Fire Department was assisted by the Newport Township, Zion, Winthrop Harbor, Waukegan, Pleasant Prairie, Bristol, Gurnee, North Chicago, Libertyville, Lake Forest, Fox Lake and Antioch fire departments.
The Zion Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA) provided rehabilitation and replenishment for firefighters.
Lake & McHenry County Scanner has reached out to the Beach Park Fire Department for further details on the firefighting operations.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Lake County sheriff’s detectives at 847-377-4000.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Lake County Crime Stoppers by calling 847-662-2222 or emailing [email protected].
The incident remains under a joint investigation by the Beach Park Fire Department, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal.