A fire tore through a condo building in suburban Crystal Lake early Wednesday, with flames ravaging the structure from the top down and rendering it uninhabitable.
At around 3 a.m., the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department responded to a report of a fire at 540 Devonshire Lane, fire officials said in a statement. The first responders arriving at the scene found a two-story, multi-family apartment style building with fire visible on the roof, officials said.
Authorities said police and fire officials began evacuating residents while crews worked to extinguish the blaze, which was elevated to a three-alarm fire.
The fire was first seen on the roof but "quickly spread the entire length of the building through the attic," according to fire officials, who said crews set up multiple ladder trucks to get water onto the roof and attic.