Wadsworth fire damages home’s garage

A heating lamp fire caused nearly $160,000 in damages to a Wadsworth home Saturday afternoon, officials said.

The fire began in a home on the 36900 block of Kimberwick Lane in a room adjacent to the garage, Gurnee Fire Battalion Chief John Skillman said. Roughly 100 firefighters came to the scene to fight the blaze for more than an hour.

The fire started about 2:20 p.m., according to the Lake County sheriff’s office. No one was home when the fire started but a bystander, who called the fire in, rescued the homeowner’s dog from the area affected by the blaze, Skillman said.

Skillman estimates fire damages to be about $159,000. The fire was contained to the area above the garage and the home remains livable.

While the primary response was by the Gurnee Fire Department, more than six departments were on scene, including crews from as far away as Highland Park. The Newport Township Fire Protection District sent a tanker to the scene, authorities said.

Emergency response teams blocked Kimberwick Lane to traffic while fighting the fire. The garage was attached to a two-story home in a neighborhood just north of Gurnee Mills shopping center, where houses are spread out on large lots.