From the Cary Fire Protection District:
Working Fire at Mulberry Lane Residence
On Wednesday, December 31, 2025, at 3:55 p.m., the Cary Fire Protection District was dispatched to the 1300 block of Mulberry Lane in Cary for a reported residential structure fire. Initial reports were made by an occupant of the home who returned to the residence and encountered smoke and fire inside the home.
Firefighters arrived on scene within five minutes and observed smoke showing from the front of a two-story residential structure.
Based on conditions upon arrival, the incident was quickly upgraded to a working fire.
Initial crews deployed hose lines and made an aggressive interior fire attack but encountered heavy smoke conditions and signs of partial collapse on the first floor.
As interior conditions deteriorated and structural concerns increased, crews were withdrawn from the structure and operations transitioned to a defensive strategy.
During operations, ground ladders were placed to a second-floor window in an attempt to locate and rescue a reported missing dog.
Firefighters made entry into a second-floor bedroom; however, the animal was not located.
Two ladder trucks were positioned and began flowing water from above to limit fire spread and protect surrounding exposures.
The fire was brought under control within approximately two hours, with crews remaining on scene for an additional hour to conduct overhaul operations and continued water flow to fully extinguish remaining hot spots.
The home and its contents are considered a complete loss.
No injuries to firefighters or civilians were reported; however, the dog remains missing.
The occupants are receiving assistance from family members during this time. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Cary Fire Protection District.
The Cary Fire Protection District was assisted at the scene by the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District, McHenry Township Fire Protection District, Fox River Grove Fire Protection District, Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Department, Nunda Rural Fire Protection District and the Salvation Army Canteen. The Barrington Fire Department and Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District provided station coverage, and area dispatchers supported operations throughout the incident.
Photos are courtesy of the Cary Fire Protection District.
