Dozens of geese and rabbits died in a fire early Thursday at a storage building near Wauconda.
Firefighters were called to the 27000 block of North Forest Garden Road about 12:15 a.m. for a structure fire. They found a 40-by-50-foot metal storage building behind a single-family home fully engulfed in flames.
There were no fire hydrants in the area west of Route 12 near Route 176, according to the Wauconda Fire District, and water had to be brought to the scene.
The fire was extinguished with about 9,000 gallons of water and no damage to the house, firefighters said. But eight geese and 20 rabbits housed in the building perished. No human injuries were reported.
Damage is estimated at about $100,000. The cause is under investigation.
Lake Zurich, Countryside, Round Lake, Fox Lake, Nunda, Barrington and Grayslake fire departments assisted. Fox River and Barrington Countryside fire districts provided station coverage.