Neighbors Help Elderly Woman Escape Round Lake Beach House Fire

By Sam Borcia Lake & McHenry County Scanner

Several neighbors helped an elderly woman out of her home after it caught fire and sustained heavy damage Sunday morning in Round Lake Beach.

The Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District responded around 10:58 a.m. Sunday to a reported structure fire in the 600 block of Whitehall Court in Round Lake Beach. Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Eric Hair said crews arrived to find heavy fire conditions from the rear of a two-story, single-family dwelling.

The fire had extended into the attic space of the home.

Firefighters were able to quickly confine the fire and get it under control by 11:13 a.m.

Crews worked for an additional hour locating and extinguishing hot spots, Hair said.

Several neighbors assisted the resident in exiting the structure prior to the arrival of the fire department.

Hair said the fire was determined to have started on the exterior of the structure and appears to be accidental.

A damage estimate was not immediately available.

The Lake Villa Fire Protection District, Grayslake Fire Protection District and Wauconda Fire Protection District assisted at the scene.

Crews from the Fox Lake, Grayslake, McHenry and Lake Zurich fire departments assisted in covering calls for Round Lake.

The Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District said they recommend residents ensure they have working smoke detectors and an established home exit plan.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner is a local breaking news website covering issues that matter such as shootings, stabbings, house fires, kidnappings, car accidents, and more around Lake County and McHenry County.