Home near McHenry destroyed in fire

An unoccupied home near McHenry was destroyed in a fire early Tuesday morning, the Nunda Rural Fire Protection District reported.

The Nunda Rural Fire Protection District responded to a call at 3:22 a.m. to the 2500 block of South Justen Road near McHenry for a residential fire. First responders arrived within 10 minutes to heavy flames coming from a house that already begun collapsing, Nunda Rural Fire Protection District Communication Specialist Alex Vucha said in a news release. The fire was initially reported by a passerby who observed the fire from a roadway.

Through a “coordinated firefighting effort and water supply operation” the fire was declared under control at 4:43 a.m. The entire home and its contents are considered a “complete loss.” The house was in being remodeled and was unoccupied, Vucha said. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Nunda Rural Fire Protection District.

A MABAS Box was immediately requested for additional resources. The McHenry Township Fire Protection District and “nearly two dozen” neighboring fire departments assisted the Nunda Rural Fire Protection District, Vucha said in the release. Nicor and ComEd representatives were requested at the scene to secure utilities.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office had announced about 5 a.m. Tuesday that South Justen Road from Barreville Road to Wright Road was closed until further notice. Authorities announced about 6:30 a.m. that the stretch of road was reopened, but did not say what prompted the closure. The area of the stretch of road that was briefly closed because of the fire is south of McHenry and Indian Ridge Park and west of Holiday Hills.