More than 30 departments respond to South Barrington house fire

More than 30 suburban fire departments helped fight a South Barrington house fire in the Crabtree Trails subdivision Monday afternoon.

Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District Chief Jeff Swanson said his department was alerted to a fire at 2 Windridge Road just before 1 p.m. Upon arrival, crews found smoke and fire in the attic.

"It was a little bit difficult in the beginning stages," Swanson said. "The fire was wind-driven in a period of time at the beginning of the fire attack. With the additional resources we called to help they were able to get companies up into the attic space and extinguish that."

Swanson said the area does not have fire hydrants so they used a rural water supply operation to get water to the scene.

"We are very well set up and prepared to handle fires in our fire district, especially the non-hydranted areas," Swanson said. "The firefighters performed their jobs expertly and delivered that water."

A news release provided by Barrington Countryside Monday night said that it was a three-alarm fire and that the additional fire companies also provided tender trucks to bring water to the scene.

Access to the subdivision was cut off for several hours. South Barrington police were there to stop traffic at the intersection of Palatine and Algonquin Roads to help emergency personnel get to and from the scene of the blaze.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. No one was injured in the blaze.

•Daily Herald photographer Gilbert R. Boucher II contributed to this report