One person is dead and a firefighter was injured following a house fire at 828 E. Berrien St. in Galesburg on Saturday morning.
The Galesburg Fire Department responded to the structure fire with reported victims trapped at 10:54 a.m. Feb. 21. The response included all three fire stations and 13 personnel on duty.
Upon arrival, fire crews encountered heavy smoke and flames visible from the two-story residential structure.
The Central Station fire crew made entry without the protection of a hose line, encountered high heat and zero visibility, and located a victim on the second floor of the structure.
While attempting to remove the victim from the structure, two firefighters were caught in a partial collapse. One firefighter was uninjured and another was treated and released at the scene. The victim was transported by GHAS to OSF St. Mary Medical Center.
The Brooks St. Station fire crew located and removed a second victim from the first floor of the structure. That victim died.
Emergency personnel also located one dog but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
Due to structural concerns, personnel evacuated the residence and defensive operations began. Personnel on scene used multiple hose lines and an aerial ladder to extinguish the fire and protect nearby homes.
An emergency callback of all off-duty personnel ensured the city had coverage for subsequent alarms. The Galesburg Police Department and Galesburg Street Department assisted by blocking nearby roadways to non-essential vehicles. Ameren assisted on scene, securing utilities to the structure.
The Galesburg Fire Department, Galesburg Police Department, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal are investigating the cause of the fire.
Because the structure was dangerously unstable, authorities are seeking an emergency demolition order to protect the public and surrounding properties.
