Newport Township firefighters were called to the scene of a house fire this morning in the 35000 block of N. Mill Creek Road in Wadsworth. The house sits well off the road and backs up almost directly to I-94 just past the toll booth.

Tankers dump into multiple tanks to supply water. Larry Shapiro photo

Fire burns through the roof almost an hour into the initial call for service. Larry Shapiro photo

The Newport Twp engine in the driveway. Larry Shapiro photo

Arriving companies were unable to spot the fire until they made the long driveway off of Mill Creek Road. They found a large, two-story home with a fire in the upper level. Since the area is without hydrants, the alarm was upgraded immediately to a Box Alarm, then to a 2nd Alarm shortly thereafter. One engine and a 75′ quint made it up the driveway and a relay operation was initiated from the street. Three portable tanks were used on the road as two engines supplied 5″ lines to the quint and the engine in the driveway.

Initially there were two dump sites on the road, one supplying each engine. Larry Shapiro photo

Dual 5″ lines along the driveway to supply an engine and a quint. Larry Shapiro photo

Tankers dump into portable tanks on Mill Creek Road. Larry Shapiro photo

Antioch fire engine drafts from a portable tank. Larry Shapiro photo

As the fire overhead grew, companies had to pull out and resort to a defensive operation. Several hand lines and an aerial pipe were put into operation. Due to the water needs and the route tenders had to take to refill and return, the alarm was upgraded to a 4th Alarm for additional tenders.

Winthrop Harbor quint working in the driveway. Larry Shapiro photo

Fire in the attic area in the A Sector. Larry Shapiro photo

Pleasant Prairie tender dumps water. Larry Shapiro photo

The Round Lake tender leads a line of tenders waiting to dump. Larry Shapiro photo

Grayslake tanker dumps water. Larry Shapiro photo

Fire departments represented at the scene from Illinois included:

• Newport Township (2 engines, an ambulance, 2 tenders, and several chief officers)
• Wauconda with an ambulance
• Round Lake with a tender and chief
• Zion with a truck and chief officers
• Antioch with an engine, an ambulance, and a chief
• Winthrop Harbor with a quint and a chief
• Waukegan with an engine
• Beach Park with an engine
• Gurnee with an engine and a chief
• Lincolnshire-Riverwoods with an ambulance
• Grayslake with a tender
• Richmond with a tender
• McHenry Township with a tender
• Countryside with a tender
• Lake Villa with a tender
• Fox Lake with a squad
• Lake Forest with a squad
• Quad 2 Rehab Unit and Mobile Command Post

Fire departments represented from Wisconsin included:

• Bristol with a tender and chief
• Trevor with a tender
• South Shore with a tender
• Salem with a tender
• Pleasant Prairie with a tender
• Paris with a tender
• Twin Lakes with a tender
• Somers with a tender

Destruction of the upper level. Larry Shapiro photo

A view of the rear showing the destruction. Larry Shapiro photo

A view from the front of the house. Larry Shapiro photo

Fox Lake firefighters work in the garage. Larry Shapiro photo

Larry Shapiro has a gallery with more images HERE.

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