Police officer spots Hawthorn Woods fire, evacuates family

Lake Zurich fire officials say an alert police officer on patrol early Friday morning spotted a Hawthorn Woods home's deck on fire and helped evacuate the residents before the fire could spread.

Fire Chief John Malcolm said the Hawthorn Woods officer called in the fire and then ran to the house and started beating on the door to alert the people inside. Because of his actions, the father, mother, two children and family's dog who lived at the house were out by the time the first Lake Zurich fire crew arrived on the scene at 1:04 a.m., Malcolm said.

"It was less than 10 feet from the house," Malcolm added. "Had it gone too much longer it would have gotten up to the eaves and lit the roof on fire."

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze before it could spread to the attached house. The back deck was almost completely destroyed. Damage is estimated at about $2,000, officials said.

The cause of the fire was discarded smoking material, authorities said.