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Chief: Damage from garage fire mitigated by Mundelein teen's actions

Quick thinking by a Mundelein teen mitigated the possible damage to his home after the attached garage caught fire Saturday night, officials said.

The 14-year-old was home alone and sleeping at his residence on the 100 block of Pinehurst Drive when he was awakened by his barking dog, Chief Deputy Fire Chief Bill Lark said. After realizing a fire had started in the garage, the boy closed the door to the house, safely evacuated and called 911.

Crews arrived about 8:18 p.m. to find a car burning in the driveway and the garage fully involved in flames, Lark said. Firefighters extinguished the blaze before it spread to neighboring residences. Nobody was injured.

The fire caused an estimated $100,000 to $150,000 in damage, Lark said, pointing to extensive heat and smoke damage throughout the house. The car in the driveway and a second vehicle in the garage were deemed total losses.

But the destruction was significantly reduced by the teen's simple action of closing the door from the garage to the house and immediately calling 911, he said.

"It would've been much worse if the child would've left the door open," Lark said. "That's a nice job on his part."

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

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