The Roodhouse Fire Department battled a suspicious fire this morning on the city’s west side.
Roodhouse Fire Chief Terry Hopkins says that the home at 508 West Clay was fully involved when crews arrived shortly after 2 this morning: “It started in the garage. We got called right at 2AM. We were there until 5AM, and then, we went back at 6 and just cleared it again a little after 8. It was an unoccupied house with no utilities. [The investigation] has all been turned into the State Fire Marshal, and we are just waiting for them now to come do what they do and see what they can find, if anything. We are pretty sure fire crews had it out at 6 this morning. This restart for the second time today, I can’t be 100% sure but it sure seems like it could have been a reset.”
The home is a total loss. No injuries were reported. Local neighbors say that the home has had issues with fire in the recent past despite being unoccupied and having no utilities. The fire remains under investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office.