An off-duty firefighter's good eye likely saved a Lake Zurich fast food restaurant from extensive fire damage Wednesday afternoon, according to officials.
Lake Zurich Fire Rescue Department Deputy Chief Don Golubski noticed flames coming from the exterior roofline of the Sonic at 205 S. Rand Road on his drive home from work, Capt. Robert Bachler said.
Golubski reported the fire via a radio in his vehicle and then alerted the employees to evacuate, Bachler said. On-duty firefighters arrived around 5:35 p.m. and were able to extinguish the fire within minutes of their arrival.
The fire was contained to the exterior of the building and resulted in minimal damage to the facade and canopy. No injuries were reported.
Bachler said because there is no alarm system on the exterior of the building, it is possible that without Golubski, the employees wouldn't have known about the fire until after it spread to the interior.
"In any fashion, early detection and early response is the key to minimizing damage," Bachler said.
The restaurant will remain closed until the Lake County Health Department can verify there are no health concerns present due to the fire.
Firefighters received assistance from the Wauconda, Barrington, Long Grove and Lincolnshire-Riverwoods fire departments.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
