12 departments respond to blaze in Wilmette house

A Wilmette home undergoing renovations caught fire on Monday afternoon in the 2200 block of Kenilworth Avenue.

No injuries were reported. The homeowners do not currently live in the under-construction house and no one was on scene when first responders arrived, Wilmette officials said.

The Wilmette Fire Department responded around 1 p.m. to a report of large amount of smoke coming from a two-story home on Kenilworth Avenue.

The first emergency unit to arrive reported that the interior and exterior of the home were burning, “with heavy flames in the attic area,” the release says.

Twelve community fire units responded to the scene and, though the fire was extinguished, many were still present as of 3:30 p.m., when water covered much of the block’s sidewalks and pavement.

Fire Chief Brian Lambel said the home was being renovated and the first floor was primarily wooden studs, while the second floor contained newly installed installation.

The cause of the fire is unclear, and the Wilmette Fire Department reportedly will provide any future updates.

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