Lake Zurich Fire Department Fights Early Morning Blaze

An early morning fire was under control within 30 minutes of the arrival on the scene of Lake Zurich fire rescue and a number of neighboring fire departments.

The fire department arrived at the tri-level residence at 23894 Midlothian Road in rural Lake Zurich at 12:55 a.m. Wednesday morning, just six minutes after the emergency call.

The fire was visible on the lower and second levels of the residence, and firefighters were able to extinguish the fire quickly.

The residence had been unoccupied since October 2009, when another fire occurred there.

"The house was never repaired from the last fire in 2009 and the structure is virtually collapsed now," said Dave Wheelock, deputy chief of the Lake Zurich Fire Department.

Wheelock said the cause of the fire remains under investigation. He added that the fire was suspicious because the residence had remained unoccupied. The structure likely will be knocked down in the near future.

The Lake Zurich Fire Department was assisted by firefighters from the Barrington, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods, Long Grove and Wauconda fire departments.

Crews will be handling cleanup and wrapping up the investigation throughout the rest of the day.