Fire causes $175,000 in damage to Crystal Lake auto repair shop

CRYSTAL LAKE – Crystal Lake Fire Rescue District is investigating a fire that caused more than $175,000 in damages at an auto repair shop off of Route 14.

A portion of the road was shut down for several hours as first responders battled the flames in below freezing temperatures Saturday evening.

Emergency departments responded about 4:20 p.m. Saturday to multiple reports of heavy smoke coming from Merlin’s 200,000 Miles Shop, 191 W. Virginia Road.

Multiple passersby called 911 to report the incident, according to a news release from the Crystal Lake Fire Rescue District.

The fire appears to have started in an office and spread. Heavy smoke and flames were coming through the roof as the department tried to put out the fire. The building has been deemed uninhabitable until repairs are made, according to the district.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. No one was injured during the incident.

Algonquin-Lake in the Hills, Barrington Countryside, Carpentersville, Cary, East Dundee, Fox River Grove, Huntley Nunda Rural, Wauconda, West Dundee, McHenry Township, Wonder Lake, and Woodstock fire rescue districts responded to the call along with the McHenry County Emergency Management Agency and the Salvation Army, according to the district.

Crystal Lake police said Route 14 reopened shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday.