Water pipe bursts at vacant Gurnee home

Gurnee firefighters responded to a call Thursday morning of a possible house fire, only to find the home already drenched with water.

A water pipe burst on the second floor of the vacant home in the 7700 block of Geneva Drive. Because of the warming temperatures, the windows of the home were fogged up, causing a passer-by to call the fire department.

"They thought there was smoke inside the home," Battalion Chief Barry Hemby said.

When firefighters arrived at the house with a "for sale" sign in the front yard, they found water coming down from the second floor.

"The water was flowing," Hemby said, adding the entire house will have to be renovated due to water damage.

The weather and the large number of vacant and foreclosed homes are causing an increase in exploding pipes, fire officials are finding.

"With all the homes for sale during the winter months, this happens a lot," he said.

To avoid these problems, Hemby suggested the water in vacant homes should be turned off or the heat should be set high enough above freezing. He also advises that if the water is left on, it should be turned on at a trickle pace to avoid freezing pipes.

When it's cold, warms up and things start to thaw a little, pipes tend to burst, Hemby said.