Vacant Long Grove home ignites days before scheduled burn

A vacant Long Grove home, which firefighters had been using to simulate fires, unexpectedly went up in flames late Thursday morning, just days before the building was scheduled to be burned to the ground.

A resident near the one-story home on the 1800 block of Checker Road noticed smoke coming from the building about 10:50 a.m., and once fighters arrived, most of the building was engulfed in flames, fire officials said.

“We have been doing training burns out there for a couple weeks,” said Long Grove Fire Department Batallion Chief Marc Small.

Small said cause remains undetermined but appears suspicious.

“We saved about two-thirds of the structure,” Small said. “Basically, to burn it again Saturday for the official burn down.”

Firefighters from Buffalo Grove, Palatine, Prospect Heights and Fox Lake assisted at the scene.

The official burn is set for 11 a.m. on Saturday, when firefighters will work on techniques in a controlled setting.