Firefighters battle two fires and cold temperatures

A man was home at the time and was able to get out safely.

Investigators estimate the home suffered about 40-thousand dollars in damage.

The second fire happened just after 6 p.m. at 2334 Squaw Prairie Road in Belvidere.

Firefighters say the blaze tore apart a wall and caused part of the roof to cave in.  The family was home at the time, but no one was hurt in the fire.

The cold weather plays a major role in how firefighters do their jobs.

While flames raged inside, frigid temperatures limited firefighters outside.

"We ran into one hydrant in the cul de sac, it was frozen due to the weather conditions," said Harlem-Roscoe Fire Chief Don Shovlin

At the fire in Machesney Park, fire fighters worked quick contain the flames to a single bedroom.

"It was confined to that room," said Shovlin.  "It did do extension into the attic."

But a frozen hydrant meant crews couldn't access water and it forced them to call for extra aid.

"We had water coming in on trucks, we had more than enough water to handle this fire," said Shovlin.

Chief Shovlin says it's a scenario they have to plan for.

"It's always a concern but it's part of the weather of where we live, so we always have plan 'B,'" said Shovlin.

A similar fire near Belvidere also had limited damage thanks to a quick response by crews.

"The roof did collapse in on one end of the house," said Boone County Fire District 2 captain Kirane.

Cold temperatures there also impacted how crews fought the flames.

"Stay as dry as we can, stay hydrated, and change in-and-out as much as we can, to stay fresh," said Kirane.

Without access to hydrants, crews in Belvidere had to fill a tub with water, which looked more like a hot tub in the frigid cold.  Steam could even been seen coming from the hoses used to run water to the house.

Since both fires are believed to have originated from the chimneys in the homes, fire officials are warning people to make sure their fire places and wood burning stoves are safe to operate before you turn them on.

"If you are going to start up your chimney, make sure you have it clean, have an annual inspection, make sure it has no defects in it," said Kirane.

No fire fighters or any of the residents were injured at either of the fires.