Small cottage that caught fire at Norge Ski Jump a 'total loss'

A small cottage on the grounds of the Norge Ski Jump in Fox River Grove caught fire Thursday night and was declared a total loss by fire officials.

No one was injured in the blaze, according to Deputy Chief Eldee Jackson of the Fox River Grove Fire Protection District.

Jackson said firefighters were called to the scene at 6:02 p.m. and fought the blaze with the help of 11 other departments over the course of the next three hours. Because of the cottage's location in the woods, the water used to battle the blaze had to be trucked in.

"Everything was grown up around it," Jackson said. "The fire didn't take off into the woods though."

Jackson said it was a defensive operation and firefighters never went inside of the cottage while it was on fire.

Other departments that assisted on the fire were: Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District, Algonquin Fire Department, Cary Fire Protection District, McHenry Township Fire Protection District, Crystal Lake Fire Department, Marengo Fire Protection District, Spring Grove Fire Protection District, Wonder Lake Fire Protection District, Woodstock Fire/Rescue District, Huntley Fire Protection District and Nunda Rural Fire Protection District.