Fire damages house in unincorporated Marengo, Illinois, 1 person hospitalized
One person was taken to a local hospital this weekend when a fire broke out in unincorporated Marengo, Illinois, far northwest of Chicago.
At 6:37 p.m. Saturday, the Harvard Fire Protection District was called for a fire in a house in the 900 block of Echo Trail in unincorporated Marengo in McHenry County. The caller reported smoke in the house, but the source was not immediately clear, the fire protection district said.
Fire crews found nothing on the outside of the two-story house, but once inside, they found a fire on the second floor in the ceiling area near the chimney. Fire was also seen blasting from the chimney cap, the fire protection district said.
Because of the rural location, subzero temperatures, and the potential for the fire to spread within the house, the fire response was upgraded through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm system for additional resources.
The fire was out within about 35 minutes, but overhaul and fire investigations went on for two hours. The fire was contained near the chimney, but the house sustained smoke and water damage throughout and was deemed uninhabitable, the fire protection district said.
Two adult residents were displaced, and one was taken to a local hospital for minor smoke inhalation, the fire protection district said.
The Harvard Fire Protection District urged residents to have chimney cleaned and inspected regularly — particularly in homes that rely on wood-burning fireplaces in the winter. This can identify creosote building and other structural concerns before they lead to a fire, the fire protection district said.
