One injured in Lake Zurich apartment fire

An early morning fire, possibly sparked by smoking materials in bed, damaged a Lake Zurich apartment and injured one person, fire officials said Wednesday.

Firefighters were called to the Landings of Lake Zurich Apartment Complex in the 100 block of N. Buesching Road at 8:18 a.m. for a fire reported in a second floor apartment, Lake Zurich Fire Chief David Wheelock said.

When they arrived at the scene, fire crews heard a smoke detector sounding and forced entry into the unit and discovered the fire in the bedroom.

The fire was contained by two sprinkler heads that drowned out the blaze, but heavy smoke was present, officials said.

Crews searched and found an unconscious victim in the bathroom, Wheelock said. The victim was taken out of the apartment, and regained consciousness in the ambulance on the way to Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Wheelock said.

He is expected to make a full recovery, Wheelock said.

Officials credit the sprinklers in the building for saving the victim, Wheelock said, and substantially reducing the damage cost of the fire.

The fire was investigated and determined to be accidental and likely attributed to smoking materials in bed, officials said.

The apartment suffered smoke and heat damage, authorities said, and some water damage was discovered in the unit below, Wheelock said.

The rest of the building is inhabitable, officials said.

The Wauconda, Barrington, Long Grove and Lincolnshire fire departments assisted the department at the scene. Firefighters from Fox River Grove and Wheeling covered Lake Zurich Fire Station 1 while crews were at the apartment building.