No one was injured in a fire that caused over $100,000 in damage to a home in Spring Grove on Sunday afternoon. The Spring Grove Fire Protection District responded at 2:26 p.m. to 6316 Johnsburg Road, where firefighters discovered flames bursting from the roof and windows of an attached tool shed, according to Chief Richard Tobiasz.
Approximately 15 fire departments from Lake and McHenry counties, as well as Wisconsin, assisted in extinguishing the fire, which had spread into the main house, a large converted dairy barn. Crews managed to bring the fire under control within less than an hour.
The home is located in an area without access to fire hydrants, so water tankers were dispatched to the local water tower in Spring Grove to supply the necessary water for firefighting efforts.
The owner was reportedly heating cooking oil in the tool shed when he returned to the house and may have fallen asleep. A neighbor spotted the fire, entered the home, and woke up the owner and his two adult sons.
The first floor and the tool shed sustained significant fire damage, while smoke damage reached the second floor, where the bedrooms are located. However, the chief noted that the house is not a total loss and could potentially be rebuilt.