Arson not ruled out in Mundelein fire

Changing an earlier stance, firefighters on Thursday said they haven't ruled out arson as the possible cause of a recent blaze that destroyed one Mundelein-area house and damaged another.

Investigators continue scrutinizing evidence and questioning witnesses to the Aug. 3 blaze on the 21000 block of Route 60, which is in the unincorporated Ivanhoe neighborhood.

Two firefighters were treated for minor injuries suffered in the blaze, but no one else was hurt. It caused an estimated $300,000 in damage.

Authorities initially said the fire didn't appear suspicious, but Countryside Fire Protection District fire investigator Ron Cielek said Thursday no potential causes have been ruled out.

The severity of the damage to the house where the fire started has made the investigation particularly challenging, he said.

It could be a while before investigators determine what caused the fire, Cielek said. He provided no specifics.

The blaze started at a house under construction across from the Mundelein Crossings shopping center. It destroyed that building and spread to the roof of a home two doors away.

A large storage building in between the two homes was damaged, too, but a house on that property was spared.

Neighbors said the house where the fire started was unoccupied and hadn't been worked on for about a year.