No one hurt in Antioch house fire

A two-story wood frame house near Antioch was seriously damaged by fire Sunday morning and is uninhabitable, said Chris Lienhardt, public information officer for the Antioch Fire Department.

Route 83 was closed for about an hour south of Beach Grove Road and north of Grass Lake Road after the fire in the 40300 block of Route 83 was discovered at 11:08 a.m.

No one was home, and the fire was reported by a motorist on Route 83 who saw smoke coming from the building in unincorporated Antioch Township, said Lienhardt.

The fire burned through the roof in the rear of the two-story frame home, and the front of the house received heat and smoke damage.

The fire was brought under control in about 10 or 15 minutes and was out in less than half an hour. However, since the home is about 70 years old and has undergone several remodelings, layers of interior ceiling and wall covering had to be removed down to the studs to be sure no fire remained.

The homeowner, who does not use the house as a primary residence, was able to salvage some belongings, said Lienhardt.

The volunteer Antioch Fire Department will investigate the cause of the fire, and it is also standard procedure to consult with insurance company investigators, said Lienhardt.

Since the area does not have fire hydrants, other fire departments automatically responded. Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District provided an engine, and Lake Villa and Fox Lake departments brought tankers and shuttled water to the fire.

Departments from Richmond as well as the Wisconsin towns of Bristol and Salem covered Antioch's three fire stations while the fire was being fought.