House fire in McHenry County leaves 2 people, pets dead

Two people, a cat and a dog were found dead inside a home that caught fire in unincorporated Union early Tuesday morning. 

Area fire departments responded to a home in the 9600 block of Knolltop Road just after 4 a.m. for reports of a structure fire. 

The fire was reported by a passerby who saw flames shooting out the front of the residence. 

Firefighters arrived at the scene and found heavy flames in the northwest corner of the one-story residence. 

Marengo Fire & Rescue District and Union Fire Protection District requested additional manpower as the fire spread rapidly. Nearly 15 neighboring agencies responded.

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The fire was under control within 25 minutes. Crews continued to extinguish residual hotspots for an additional two hours. 

Firefighters located two adult victims inside the house, as well as a dog and cat. They were all pronounced dead at the scene. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The residence sustained heavy fire damage throughout and is uninhabitable. 

No further information is available at this time.