Man charged with setting fire to Chicago-area home

ROUND LAKE, Ill. - A man was arrested Monday after intentionally setting a home on fire in unincorporated Round Lake.

Round Lake fire

What we know:

Firefighters were called to the 35300 block of North Summit Place around 2:30 p.m., but crews were initially kept from the scene due to an active police situation, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District. Once deputies took the suspect into custody, firefighters found the house fully engulfed and called a second alarm to bring in additional crews and water tenders. Two firefighters were treated for minor injuries, with one transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center and later released.

Authorities identified the suspect as 43-year-old Robert D. Neumann of Cary, who was renting space above a detached garage at the property. Deputies said Neumann poured gasoline at the rear of the home and set it on fire for no apparent reason. No one was inside the weekend getaway home at the time.

The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Neumann with aggravated arson, a Class X felony, and residential arson, a Class 1 felony. He remains held in the Lake County Jail pending an initial court hearing.

The cause of the blaze continues to be investigated by the Lake County Fire Investigation Team, the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.