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| Galesburg Firefighters Battle Two Blazes in One Night |
UPDATED 6:00am 12/23/09 Galesburg Fire Department investigators are still looking into two late-night fires that essentially destroyed two homes not very far from each other.
Firefighters were called to 844 South Kellogg Street around 10:30pm Tuesday, then, about 45-minutes later to 812 South Chambers Street.
In the case of the South Kellogg Street fire, Acting Battalion Chief Ken Boydstun tells WGIL there were a few factors that made fighting the blaze a bit difficult.
"We tried to get in the north side door, which is where the fire was," Boydstun said. "It turned out to be a storage room with stuff jammed up against the door, so we couldn't get in. So, we opened up the front door. And, when we did that, it allowed the air to come in and fully charge with fire in that front room."
Boydstun says firefighters then discovered the house had been added on to when they tried to cut a hole in the roof. Once they were able to overcome that, Boydstun says, firefighters were able to get the fire under control quickly and eventually out.
While crews remained on that scene, the blaze on South Chambers Street started.
Galesburg Fire Battalion Chief Brad Stevenson tells WGIL the fire started in one area but quickly spread. "It appeared to be primarily in the living area just inside the front door," Stevenson said. "We did have a captain on the back side of the house report it looked like the fire may have gotten into the attic, so we quickly cut a hole in the roof. That enables us to contain the fire and let the heat and the gas out in that space. We did confirm there was fire in the attic."
All told, Stevenson says firefighters made quick work of the blaze, getting it out in less than an hour.
Both one-story homes suffered extensive damage. No one was home in either case, though two dogs lost their lives in the Kellogg Street fire.
Investigators continue to look into the causes of both.
(Firefighters had the blaze at 844 South Kellogg Street under control in a short amount of time Tuesday night.)
(A second set of firefighters attacks a blaze at 812 South Chambers Street that started in a front living room. WGIL News Story and Photos by Will Stevenson.) |
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| 12 23 09 by Newsroom |
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