Dry conditions fuel deck fire in Zion

What should have been a routine deck fire in Zion Monday afternoon spread through four backyards and required help from multiple neighboring departments due to severe dry conditions, officials said.

Zion firefighters responded to the report of a grill fire that was out of control in the 900 block of Countrywood Drive and found the blaze had spread to the deck, exterior of the house and the entire yard when they arrived at around 4 p.m.

As firefighters were pulling hoses to the fire, the flames had spread to three more yards and fences, forcing Zion fire officials to sound an alarm for mutual aid.

“The severe dry conditions drove what would have been a routine exterior home fire into a sizable incident,” according to a news release from the Zion Fire Department.

Crews from Winthrop Harbor, Beach Park, Newport, Pleasant Prairie and Gurnee assisted at the scene.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but a resident of the home told fire officials that their grill might have contributed to the fire.

The deck was at a total loss, but the rest of the damage to the home was limited to the exterior, according to fire officials. The residents of the home were able to stay in the house, officials said.

The yard of the home where the fire started was completely torched, while two houses to the north of the home’s yards suffered significant damage to their yards. A fourth yard was also burned as well as portions of a fence separating the backyards.

Fire officials are urging residents to hold back on using open flames outdoors due to the severe dry conditions.