On February 19th, the Galesburg Fire Department battled a formidable blaze at 149 East Main Street. This structure, home to both businesses and residences, saw significant damage, and emergency demolition of part of the third floor was required. Downtown Galesburg witnessed the heart-wrenching loss of two beloved pets to this inferno, although no human casualties were reported. The City Manager lauded the Fire Department for their quick and decisive response. Fire Department personnel have identified the room of origin on the third floor of the building. The third floor of the building has one apartment and a large open space. Three people were in the third-floor apartment at the time of the fire, and they were all able to evacuate before the fire department arrived. One person sought treatment at the hospital for smoke inhalation. The tenants from the apartments on the second floor evacuated safely from the building as well.
“We are saddened by the loss of two pets, but very thankful that action was taken swiftly and effectively by the Fire Department, resulting in no human lives being lost,” said Eric Hanson, City Manager. “The city continues to investigate the cause of the fire, as well as communicate daily with the property management company to ensure the needed demolition and/or repair of the structure is handled as safely as possible.”
While the room of origin is clearly defined, officials have been unable to determine the cause of the fire at this time due to the amount of damage and instability of the structure. Fire officials have interviewed the three individuals who were known to be in the involved apartment at the time of the fire. The cause of the fire is undetermined at this time, and the investigation remains open.
“The most important factor in any fire is the safety of the occupants and firefighters battling the blaze,” said Fire Chief Randy Hovind. “It is certainly unfortunate that this fire occurred, for the occupants, the downtown business community, and our community as a whole. We are grateful no lives were lost, will move forward with a full investigation, and take what we can from this fire to plan for the future.”
The structural integrity of the building was compromised due to the weight of the water- and fire-damaged roof, and support beam. The property owner and property management company decided to apply for an emergency demolition permit through the State of Illinois, to demolish the very top portion of the building for safety purposes. The removal of the roof and top portion of the building does not impede or interfere with the remaining components of the fire investigation and was necessary to stabilize the building for the safety of the surrounding area.
