2 firefighters hurt battling Buffalo Grove blaze

Buffalo Grove fire officials are investigating a fire that occurred early Sunday morning on the 900 block of Shambliss Lane and caused minor injuries to two firefighters.

Battalion Chief Joe Wieser said the occupants of the home spent the night at a hotel. He said it is likely they will not be able to return to the home for a couple of months. He added that the fire department will on the scene today, walking the homeowners through it.

Damage was estimated at more than $200,000, with severe fire damage to the garage and significant fire and smoke damage to the first and second floor.

Residents of the single-family home were evacuated, as were neighbors. None were injured.

The injured firefighters were treated at the scene and released. Wieser said one of the firefighters suffered a first degree burn, while the other suffered a fall. Both were back on the job immediately, he said.

At 12:44 a.m. Sunday, the fire department responded to a report of smoke from a resident. Police who then arrived on the scene reported fire in the garage.

When firefighters arrived, they found two cars on fire inside the two-car garage.

Firefighters were soon assisted by fire companies from surrounding areas, as the fire spread to the bedrooms on the second floor and the attic.

Ventilation holes were cut into the roofs of the garage and the living area. Multiple hoselines were also used to bring the fire under control at around 1:30 a.m.

Engines from Long Grove, Arlington Heights, Lake Zurich and Deerfield were called in to assist, as were ladder trucks from Palatine and Mundelein, rescue squads from Lincolnshire and Prospect Heights and an ambulance from Barrington.

Palatine Rural and Libertyville fire departments responded with engines to provide coverage to the rest of the village, while Rolling Meadows and Wauconda fire departments provided ambulances to Buffalo Grove's three fire stations.