Residents Rescued From Early Morning Lake Forest Fire

LAKE FOREST, IL — Three people were safely evacuated from a house fire in southwest Lake Forest early Monday morning, according to the Lake Forest Fire Department. One resident was evaluated by paramedics on the scene for possible smoke inhalation but declined further treatment, and no emergency personnel were injured.

Around 12:30 a.m. firefighters were called to a burning home in the 300 block of Wallace Road, according to the department and mutual aid broadcasts. Lake Forest police officers arrived on scene first and started helping three residents get out of the house.

Meanwhile, the fire department shift commander upgraded the alarm to call in crews from neighboring communities while the first firefighters still on route to the scene, according to Deputy Chief Mike Gallo.

Arriving firefighters found flames visible from a bedroom on the second floor and started an aggressive attack on the interior and were able to begin dousing the flames with water within minutes of arriving, Gallo said in a statement. The fire was out around 1 a.m. but firefighters stayed on scene to perform overhaul operations to make sure the blaze was fully extinguished.

Firefighters from the Countryside, Deerfield-Bannockburn, Highland Park, Libertyville and Lincolnshire fire departments assisted at the scene, Gallo said. The Lake Bluff, Mundelein and Wheeling fire departments sent equipment to cover the rest of Lake Forest during the fire.

The fire left the house with about $300,000 in damage, according to Gallo, citing preliminary estimates. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.