Fire officials said Thursday the cause of the fire this week that gutted a large home on Petit Lake remains undetermined, and the cause may never be determined.
The house and garage in the 39000 block of North Cedar Crest Drive were damaged so extensively that determining the cause of the fire will probably be impossible, Lake Villa Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Adam Becker said.
No one was injured in the blaze as the occupants were able to get out before firefighters arrived.
Firefighters responded at about 12:15 p.m. to the large single-family home, and Becker said heavy smoke and flames were already showing when crews arrived.
The extent of the fire, fanned by strong winds off the lake, forced crews into a defensive mode, he said. The neighborhood does not have fire hydrants, so firefighters had to use water tankers. Eventually, the LVFPD raised the fire to a third alarm.
Crews were on the scene for about six hours, Becker said.
