Burning yard waste suspected of causing Mundelein house fire

A Mundelein home was damaged by a fire Monday possibly started by burning landscape waste outside the home, fire officials said.

The Countryside Fire Protection District responded to a call at 1:10 p.m. on the 26000 block of North Circle Drive and arrived to find an exterior of an enclosed front porch in flames, Countryside fire officials said in a news release.

The home's occupants evacuated to a balcony on the back side of the house and needed a ladder to exit, officials said. The fire, which had spread into the eaves and inside the house, was brought under control within 35 minutes, officials said.

Several fire departments assisted: Mundelein, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Lake Zurich, Long Grove, Wauconda, Knollwood, Barrington, Lake Bluff, Deerfield and Lake Forest.

Fire officials warn residents to dispose of yard waste ashes by drowning them and placing them in a metal can.