Island Lake fire blamed on discarded cigarette

A fire that gutted a long-shuttered Island Lake bar is being blamed on a discarded cigarette butt.

No one was hurt in the Tuesday night blaze at the one-story, wood-frame building, which stood on Route 176 at Darrell Road. It once was known as Weichsville Tavern, but has been closed for years, authorities said.

Wauconda Fire Protection District Investigator Tom Smith said the fire was caused by “careless use of smoking materials.”

The fire was extinguished quickly.

The building was being used as storage. The site was overgrown with weeds and brush, authorities said.

Abandoned building gutted by fire in Island Lake