Fire Consumes Truck In Driveway, Crews Extinguish Blaze Before It Destroys Home: New Lenox Fire

NEW LENOX, IL — A vehicle fire was successfully put out before it could damage a New Lenox residence Thursday morning, fire officials said.

At 7:58 a.m., NLFPD crews were dispatched to the 1700 block of Tomahawk Ridge following reports of a truck on fire in a residential driveway. The incident was quickly upgraded to a structure fire response at 8 a.m., after 911 dispatchers confirmed the vehicle was parked only two feet from the garage. Upon arrival, the first engine reported a fully involved vehicle fire with flames already extending to the attached garage of the structure.

The residents initially attempted to suppress the flames with a fire extinguisher, but the fire grew too large to manage, fire officials said. All occupants were able to evacuate the home safely before fire crews arrived, and no injuries were reported. Firefighters worked quickly to control the fire, successfully minimizing the spread to the structure and stopping the blaze before it could reach the rest of the residence.

While the homeowner's Ford F-150 is a total loss and the garage area sustained damage, the main living quarters were saved.

"The rapid escalation of this fire highlights how quickly a vehicle fire can become a threat to a structure," said NLFPD Deputy Chief Terry Vavra. "We are grateful that the residents evacuated safely and that our crews, with the vital assistance of our neighboring districts, were able to save the home."

The NLFPD thanked Mokena and Frankfort fire protection districts for their prompt assistance at the scene.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.