Large fire destroys barn near Woodstock; loss exceeds $1 million, officials say

A barn near Woodstock sustained over $1 million in damages after it burned to the ground Monday.

The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District was sent out to the scene in the 1600 block of South Rose Farm Road just before 10:30 a.m. Monday and started a “defensive operation” on the barn, according to Alex Vucha, communications specialist for the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District.

Vucha said it was hard to access some parts of the barn due to downed power lines and strong winds and officials put in a third alarm request. The nearest fire hydrant was more than two miles away and officials needed several water tenders to bring water to the scene to keep fire suppression operations going, Vucha said.

Defensive operations continued for an hour and half before the the fire was under control while overhaul and hotspot mitigation went on for two more hours after that, Vucha said.

Vucha said the barn, which was used for storage and didn’t have any animals inside, and its contents are a total loss and initial damages are estimated at over $1 million. No injuries were reported, Vucha said. Officials don’t believe the cause of the fire is suspicious but the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District and McHenry County Sheriff’s Office are investigating.

The barn is on the property of a large home that did not appear to have sustained any damage, and Vucha said firefighters’ quick actions kept two additional structures on the property from catching fire. According to previous reports, the owner had collected a number of retail business signs that were displayed on the structure. The homeowner could not be reached for comment.