Fire near Algonquin requires morning, afternoon visits

A faulty fireplace is to blame for a Tuesday morning fire that required two visits from the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District, an official said. The chimney fire occurred at a house in the 1300 block of Kendall Avenue in unincorporated McHenry County. The fire district initially responded to the house at 6:32 a.m. following reports of a smoky odor in the home.

Firefighters left the house at 9 a.m., but returned at 12:42 p.m. to eliminate sparks left over from the first fire.

“There was a little bit of rekindle, a little bit of smoldering in the roof,” Assistant Fire Chief Peter Van Dorpe explained.

When the first, larger fire was called in, dispatch told incoming units the home was filling up with smoke and that the occupants — three adults and a child — had already evacuated. One of them was later evaluated on the scene, Van Dorpe said.

Due to the lack of fire hydrants in the area and a heavy snow accumulation, firefighters asked for additional help. Fire personnel from Carpentersville, East Dundee, Huntley, Fox River Grove, Cary and Crystal Lake assisted.

Once they put out the fire, crews checked to see whether the blaze extended into walls and the attic, then vented the house to let the smoke out.

Van Dorpe said the house remains habitable.