Controlled Burn Gets Too Close To Homes In Crystal Lake
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Kenneth Caudle knows a thing or two about fire.
So one might imagine the irony when the Huntley Fire Chief got a call that a controlled burn near his backyard in Crystal Lake got a bit out of control.
"They do this every year," Caudle told the Northwest Herald. "It's nothing out of the ordinary. It may have gotten a little bit away from them."
Caudle was at work, and said he was notified by fire radio and the communications center about the fire's proximity to his home. He sped to the scene,and said he was pleased with the firefighting effort.
Podcast
A Crystal Lake Fire Department spokesman said private contractors called 911 shortly after 1 p.m., by 1:30, Crystal Lake had called for mutual aid from Lakewood and Woodstock. The flames were confined to an area between Redtail Drive and Huntley Road, north of Ackman Road.
Some homes in Caudle's neighborhood near Wheatland Drive sustained some minor fire damage. Caudle and Crystal Lake fire officials said the damage is limited to blistered paint and siding on the eight homes. No one was hurt.
Homeowner Mike Staples, whose home was damaged, says it felt like blast furnace.
"I was thinking I don't want to want the house catch on fire or the deck, that was the biggest concern," Staples said. "Little bit if an oxymoron you know, controlled burn."
It is not clear how much the damage will cost to repair.
There were no reports of injuries.
"It's a little unique when you are the fire chief in one jurisdiction and you hear about a fire in your backyard in another jurisdiction," Caudle told the Herald.
