The Northwestern Fire Protection District in Palmyra fought the elements and a single story structure fire Tuesday evening.
According to reports, Northwestern Fire and Northwestern Ambulance received a page to a fire at a residence on West Oak Street at 6:30PM.
Upon arrival, first responders found the structure fully engulfed. Ameren-Illinois was called to the scene to assist in disconnecting both electricity and natural gas.
Assistant Fire Chief Zac Meisenheimer says that the home was unoccupied at the time of the fire and it is believed that the fire was electrical in nature, but the cause remains undetermined at this time.
The early vestiges of the most recent winter storm hit the scene, and firefighters battled sleet and freezing rain along with the fire for 6 hours without mutual aid. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze from igniting neighboring homes.
Meisenheimer says that by the time the blaze was knocked down, there was a quarter to an eighth inch of ice on the department’s equipment. No injuries were reported as a result of the fire fight.