Lightning sparks Mundelein house fire

Saturday’s severe weather likely caused a house fire in north suburban Mundelein, leaving a family homeless while wreaking $75,000 worth of damage.

Crews responded about 3:30 p.m. to the blaze in the attic at a two-story home in the 1600 block of Verde Lane, according to the Mundelein Fire Department.

All pets and people got out of the house by the time firefighters arrived and no one was hurt.

Fire departments from 17 neighboring communities were called in to assist as a severe storm bore down on the area. It took about an hour to put the fire out, officials said.

The house was deemed uninhabitable and damage was estimated at $75,000.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it likely was caused by lightning hitting the attic, officials said.