Epoxy paint may have caused garage fire

A Lake Zurich home was left uninhabitable after a fire started in a garage and spread to the attic Saturday.

Firefighters from Countryside Fire Protection District were called to the 25000 block of Marilyn Lane at 11:26 a.m. after a neighbor called 911 to report a fire, officials said.

When firefighters arrived, they found smoke showing across eves of the front of the single story house and found fire in the garage and attic, officials said.

The homeowners were not home at the time of the fire and no one was injured.

The fire caused about $87,000 in damage, but firefighters were able to contain the fire so that the rest of the house was not damaged and got the fire under control in about 30 minutes, officials said.

One of the residents recently painted the garage floor with epoxy paint, which fire officials think was ignited by a backup generator.

Countryside firefighters warned residents that when using any kind of epoxy paint to be sure to keep the area well-ventilated and to eliminate any potential ignition sources to avoid fire.

Countryside fire officials arranged overnight lodging for the homeowners.