Investigators were out Wednesday at a senior citizens apartment complex in Wauconda, trying to determine the cause of a fire that forced the evacuation of about 30 residents.
No one was hurt, but the blaze Tuesday afternoon left the 25-unit John Kuester Manor in the 300 block of Osage Street uninhabitable, Wauconda Fire District Deputy Chief Devin Mueller said Wednesday.
Firefighters were called at about 3:12 p.m. and responded within several minutes. The fire was showing under the eaves when personnel arrived, Mueller said.
Firefighters evacuated the building, which Mueller said was a challenge for some less mobile residents. Firefighters were also able to rescue a half-dozen cats, a bird and a bearded dragon, which is a type of reptile.
The fire originated in the attic or roof area of the structure, and firefighters were able to bring it under control in about 30 minutes. The cause has not been determined.
The Wauconda Park District and Wauconda Township brought a bus to the scene to provide shelter, and a Wauconda grade school was opened after that.
“The whole community really came together,” Mueller said.
The Lake County Housing Authority put up the residents in a hotel Tuesday night, and the LCHA and the Red Cross were working Wednesday to find temporary housing for the displaced residents.
