A Crystal Lake family is safe after a fire ignited on the exterior of their house Friday afternoon at 1587 Autumncrest Drive.

However, two Crystal Lake firefighters were transported from the scene to Woodstock Hospital for observation due to heat-related issues, Crystal Lake Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Robert Kohley said. The firefighters sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

The house is located on the south side of town, just northwest of Miller and Golf Course roads.

Neighbors who gathered in a nearby driveway reported seeing smoke billowing from the two-story house at about 5:45 p.m. The fire was struck at 7:20 p.m.

Kohley said an initial investigation shows the fire likely started on the home’s exterior and spread to the garage and roof. Firefighters opened some interior walls and windows to stop the fire from spreading.

Investigators planned to work into the night to determine the cause. Damage was estimated at $100,000, and the house was deemed uninhabitable. The family is being assisted by the Red Cross.

Because of high temperatures on Friday, Crystal Lake Fire Rescue initiated a Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) where at least seven other fire departments helped extinguish the blaze. Responding units included fire and ambulance responders from Huntley, Algonquin, and McHenry Township.

Witnesses on the scene said homeowner Don Newberry, the sole occupant when the fire started, was working from home when he smelled smoke. Newberry found the source of the smoke outside near the garage. The home’s air conditioning unit and garbage cans were nearby.

Newberry immediately began spraying the siding with water from a garden hose. At that time, his daughter arrived home, and he instructed her to call 911.

Newberry’s wife, Angie, said she was driving north on Randall Road in Algonquin at the time of the fire, and was passed by fire trucks and ambulances responding to the blaze. She had no idea the trucks were heading to her house, she said.

Don Newberry was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene. A family cat had yet to be located.