A large house in Barrington Hills was engulfed in flames early Thursday morning, May 3, 2018, after a lightning strike sparked a devastating fire at 83 Paganica Drive. The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District (FPD) responded quickly, arriving on the scene to find heavy fire coming from the second floor and the mansard roof. The homeowner had already evacuated, and the area lacked fire hydrants, complicating the firefighting efforts.
Upon arrival, the first engine and tanker pulled into the driveway with 4,000 gallons of water, while the second engine set up a line at the end of the street to begin drafting from three portable tanks. Over 14 tankers worked for more than two hours, shuttling water to support the hand lines that were actively fighting the blaze. Despite the challenges, the fire department maintained a steady water supply throughout the operation.
The house, which was nearly 9,000 square feet, suffered extensive damage, and the fire rendered it uninhabitable. Neighbors reported hearing a loud boom during the night, and the fire was first spotted by the homeowner around 4:40 a.m. According to reports, the fire originated from a lightning strike, though the exact cause is still under investigation.
A photo from Facebook shows a dramatic view of the burning home, while another image captures the Barrington Countryside FPD’s E-ONE e-MAX Engine 37 at the scene. Local photographer Larry Shapiro captured several images of the incident, which are available in a gallery below.
From the DailyHerald.com:
"Lightning may be to blame for a fire that tore through a nearly 9,000-square-foot Barrington Hills home after violent storms pushed through the region early Thursday morning. Firefighters from the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District and about 20 other departments spent roughly two hours getting the fire on Paganica Drive under control.
Neighbors reported hearing a loud boom during the night, before firefighters were called to the scene at about 4:40 a.m., when the homeowner spotted flames. While most of the damage occurred to the roof, the house was left uninhabitable by the fire.
Because the neighborhood has no fire hydrants, firefighters set up a rural fire operation which involved bringing water to the scene in tenders. At no time was water supply lost, according to the fire district."
If you'd like to see more photos from the scene, click [Show slideshow] to view the full gallery.
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