Extensive damage caused by fire at D'Andrea Banquets in Crystal Lake
A massive fire caused extensive damage to a Crystal Lake banquet hall Saturday morning.
Crews were using a ladder truck to direct water into the building as of 9:30 a.m. but there were no visible flames and it appeared much of the fire was extinguished.
The fire occurred at the D'Andrea Banquets and Conference Center at the intersection of Routes 14 and 31. Most of the property was destroyed with some charred exterior walls still standing.
Debris including chunks of concrete strewed around the parking lot.
According to a Shaw Local report, the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department responded at 1:24 a.m. to the business for an activated fire alarm. Two minutes later, a McHenry County sheriff's deputy reported smoke coming from the building.
The first fire unit arrived on the scene at 1:32 a.m. and attempted to enter the building but had to back out due to an impending roof collapse, the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department said. Fire spread quickly through multiple areas within the wood-framed building, which did not have a fire sprinkler system.
The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire. The owners had closed the business at the end of February citing economic issues due to the pandemic and staffing problems, according to a WGN-Channel 9 report.
Fire crews fought the fire from the exterior of the structure, according to a news release. A request for additional aid from area departments through the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, or MABAS, was made at 1:33 a.m.
Several ladder trucks with hose streams were established around the perimeter of the building, the department said. The fire was declared under control at 5:12 a.m.
No injuries were reported by any firefighters, according to the release. The building's owners were on scene and communicating with fire investigators.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department investigators, other area fire investigators, and Crystal Lake Police Department fire investigators. Due to the collapse of portions of the roof, it will be some time before a cause can be determined, the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department said.
Shaw Local contributed to this report.