Local residents suffered an estimated $30,000 worth of property damage following a house fire just north of town yesterday.
Local firefighters spent more than four hours on the scene fighting the blaze and investigating a fire at a structure on Illinois Route 78 North yesterday afternoon. According to reports from the Jacksonville Fire Department, crews from the Jacksonville Fire Department and South Jacksonville Fire responded to the structure at 1597 North Route 78, located just south of North Jacksonville Elementary School, at around 3 p.m. yesterday.
According to the Jacksonville Fire Department, it is not believed that anyone was home at the time of the fire, and only one minor injury to a firefighter was reported as a result of the blaze. Reports from Jacksonville Fire Lieutenant Mike Hopper say that when crews first arrived on scene, the home had smoke piling out of three sides, while smoke and flames could be seen coming from the fourth side of the one-story ranch style house.
Fire crews made entry into the home by forcing their way into the front door. Reports say crews then advanced into the residence and found the seed of the fire. Crews from Jacksonville and South Jacksonville Fire, along with the Illinois State Fire Investigator, were on the scene for more than four hours. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined at this time.
Reports estimate that the total cost of the damage sustained as a result of the fire to be approximately $30,000.