Broken water pipe leaves homes uninhabitable after fire in McHenry

A small fire inside a garage spread into a crawlspace and burned through a water pipe Monday in McHenry, leaving residents displaced, according to officials at the McyHenry Township Fire Protection District.

Firefighters were called at about 1:20 p.m. Monday to the 1000 block of Armistead Lane for the report of a structure fire. On arrival to the two-story attached townhouse building, they found light smoke coming from a garage, according to a release from Battalion Chief Ryan Mastandrea.

All residents of the four-unit townhome had evacuated before firefighters arrived, and one of the residents used a fire extinguisher to help contain the fire, Mastandrea said.

Before firefighters were able to control the fire, about 10 minutes after arrival, it burned through the water line, disconnecting service for all of the units, he said.

Firefighters remained on the scene for about an hour, `1yyyMastandrea said, adding that the American Red Cross is assisting residents until repairs can be made. The fire’s cause is currently under investigation and a damage estimate was not provided.