No one injured in basement fire near Grayslake

The cause of a fire in an abandoned home in unincorporated Lake County near Grayslake is under investigation, fire officials said.

Division Chief Chuck Smith from the Countryside Fire Protection District said the Grayslake Fire Protection District was notified at 10:39 a.m. of the fire near Winchester Road and Highway 83.

Upon arrival at the home in the 29000 block of North Ivanhoe Road, firefighters found an abandoned farmhouse with a fire actively burning in the basement.

The structure had been slated for demolition and was known to be vacant, so firefighters allowed the structure to become a controlled burn with defensive fire operations, officials said.

No injuries were reported and a damage estimate remains to be determined, officials said.

Tankers from Round Lake, Lake Villa and Fox Lake assisted in hauling water to the area.

It was noted after the fire was out that the structure was in the Countryside Fire Protection District jurisdiction, officials said.

“The initial cellular call was directed to Grayslake’s dispatch. Even though the call ended up being in Countryside’s jurisdiction, the area fire departments work so well together that the emergency is handled seamlessly without concern for invisible boundaries,” said Smith. “The important thing is that someone gets to the emergency quickly. Who completes the investigation and paperwork we can figure out after the fire is out.”