Dehumidifier failure blamed in fire at Deer Park house

No injuries were reported from a fire that sparked in a dehumidifier in the basement of a Deer Park house early Thursday, authorities said.

An alarm at the house in the 20000 block of Audrey Lane came into the Lake Zurich Fire Department at 3:08 a.m., officials said. The occupants of the home were alerted by the fire alarm system and had already evacuated when firefighters arrived to find smoke in the basement, officials said.

An investigation showed a failure in the dehumidifier caused the fire, officials said. The flames were tamped down by a sprinkler system and fully extinguished by firefighters.

Fire departments from Wauconda, Barrington, Lincolnshire and Long Grove assisted Lake Zurich. Authorities said the residents were able to return to the home.

Officials credited the sprinkler system with preventing significant damage to the home.