A barn was left destroyed after the building became fully engulfed in flames and smoke, prompting a major fire department response, in Wonder Lake Saturday evening.
The Wonder Lake Fire Protection District responded around 10:52 p.m. Saturday to the 6200 block of Barnard Mill Road in Wonder Lake for a report of a structure fire.
Wonder Lake Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Bill Oeffling said fire crews arrived in less than six minutes.
They found an approximately 150-foot by 75-foot pole barn with flames coming from the roof.
The barn contained vehicles and machinery and did not involve any animals, Oeffling said.
A Working Fire response upgrade was requested to bring additional resources to the scene.
Oeffling said firefighters were unable to enter the barn due to the large amount of fire and had to fight the fire defensively from the outside.
The owner reported to authorities that the structure was unoccupied and had no people inside.
The fire occurred in an area that does not have fire hydrants and firefighters had to haul water to the scene, Oeffling said.
The Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) was activated to the second alarm level to bring additional water tender trucks to the scene.
The structure and its contents were a total loss, Oeffling said.
No injuries were reported to any civilians or firefighters.
The fire district said they were assisted by neighboring fire departments, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and The Salvation Army.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Wonder Lake Fire Protection District.