Fire heavily damages beloved bakery, pet store in McHenry; 1 firefighter injured

MCHENRY, Ill. (WLS) -- A fire damaged two popular north suburban businesses and left a firefighter injured on Sunday afternoon.

The McHenry community is showing a massive amount of support for the bakery and the pet store impacted. No one was seriously injured, in part, thanks to the quick thinking of a local ex-fireman who happened to be passing by when the fire broke out.

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Under the cover of night, it would be easy to drive past McHenry's Riverside Drive and not notice anything out of the ordinary, but earlier Sunday, smoke and flames rose from the rooftop of the city's most beloved bakery, Riverside Bake Shop. A fire broke out just after noon, leaving much of the inside of the decades-old business destroyed.

"All the locals go there. They are known for their cookies and their chocolate donuts. The family has owned it forever. It's sad," said McHenry resident Cindy O'Connor.

Cold and ice made fighting the five-alarm fire even harder, with several neighboring fire departments being called in to help.

But even before first responders arrived, others set out to help. Retired firefighter Billy Andersen was driving past when he saw the smoke.

"I really wasn't thinking of anything else other than just going in there to help see if there was anybody there," Andersen said.

And so, he did, heading in through the back of the bakery.

"I tested the door for heat and then opened it, and then it was floor-to-ceiling smoke. I yelled in there to see if there was anybody in there, and two gentlemen... They were coughing really heavy. I said, 'Get low,' and helped them out a little bit and I asked if there was anybody else in there, and they said yes, and it was an older gentleman. He was standing straight up and walking. I went about 10 to 15 feet and kind of guided him to the door," Andersen said.

And while the fire does appear to have started in the bakery, next door, Reese's Barkery and Pawtique also suffered damage. Co-owner Zachary Giles vowed to find a way to continue serving the pet shop's customers.

"Whatever we need to do, we are going to make it happen," Giles said. "We are already in talks with another local business with some space that we can bring some food, drop it off there and act as a mini store in the meantime until we can get everything up and running again."

As for the Riverside Bake Shop, its owners issued a statement on social media, saying, "We will provide updates when we learn more information. Thank you to the local community who has voiced your support. We are so grateful for the community we have built and can lean on throughout this difficult time."

One firefighter suffered minor injuries. Officials said he was taken to the hospital for evaluation but has since been released.