The fire started inside the home in Fox River Grove before quickly spreading with the flames, growing larger, fueled by the high winds, fire officials said.
"It was pretty well involved throughout the whole house. At the time, there were flames exiting all sides of the building," Fox River Grove Fire Department Chief Robert Kreher said.
Chief Kreher says when crews responded to the home on Grove and Lincoln avenues, it was already fully engulfed. They got the call just after 4:30 p.m. Friday.
Kreher says there was a man home at the time, and was able to escape unharmed. The Red Cross is now assisting him and his family.
The flames took hours to knock down due to a layer of issues.
"It was a wind-driven fire," Kreher said. "The hydrants here only flow about 500 GPM, so we didn't have enough water, so I had to bring in tenders. We set up a tender operation, another water supply, then we were able to get this thing under control."
Firefighters spent the late evening hours tending to hot spots. As for the home, the fire chief says it's clearly a total loss and will likely have to be demolished.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.