Suspicious House Fire on Church Street

Around 9:30 pm, I was getting ready to go to bed, when I heard chatter on my scanner about a house on fire on Church Street near Elm Street, so I grabbed my camera and headed that way. As soon as I turned out of my driveway on to the street, I could see the glow in the sky. I pulled up and parked near the intersection, careful not to block the hydrant, and made my way up Church Street along the sidewalk shooting video of the heavy fire shooting thru the roof on the north side of the house. Some gal came out of the shadows and was asking me questions…you`ll hear me answering them on the video…

Fires 2021-0802 AVI 027 First Alarm Residential Church & Elm Streets

The house was completely dark except for the light from the flames, which was mostly illuminating the north side wall and rear corner of the house and yard…being as I was out in front of the home and across the street, there was no light in front to illuminate the home from the street view, until the Fire Department arrived, then the initial illumination was the glow of the red and blue strobe lights…

…the blue glow is easier on the eyes than the hideous red glow…the natural color of the walls of the home are a beautiful honey brown…those two photos I shot with my phone camera and I switched to my Nikon with my flashgun next, as the flames disappeared due to the firefighters making entry through the back door and knocking down the flames…

Bourbon and St Clair firefighters arrived soon after and helped Sullivan with overhaul work…I left soon after to get a few hours of sleep for work the next day….

Fires 2021-0802 AVI 33 First Alarm Residential Elm & Church Streets

I do know a State Fire Marshal was summoned to the scene and the investigation turned up strong evidence of arson.

Grain Semi Truck Fire WB I-44 at Bourbon Feb 8th, 2021

Bourbon Fire Department was toned out by Cencom for a tractor trailer on fire westbound I-44 at the 220.2 mile marker, during the ice and snow storm we were experiencing in our area on February 8th, 2021. Call came in early morning around 7 am…I took the North Service Road to avoid what I figured might become a traffic snarl on the interstate, and saw heavy black smoke when I got to the Leffingwell Bridge over 44. I parked down by Crawford Electric on Davidson Road and trotted down the ditchline to the scene, found a Patriot Tow Truck parked on the Service Road facing east, waiting on firefighters to arrive. The truck was heavily involved in fire right behind the cab on the passenger side, involving the rear cab passenger tire and spreading to the front of the trailer…

I could hear Bourbon`s Pumper approaching as I shot the two photos above and they arrived seconds later…Tony Boero driving the truck with a young crew of firefighters on board, packed up and ready to fight fire…

Fires 2021-0208 Semi Fire WB 44 220.2 MM Bourbon District AVI 200

They stretched out the hoseline with assistance from the Patriot Tow Driver and bled the line of air, preparing to attack the fire…

and they put a quick knockdown on the fire just as Sullivan Fire Department`s Pumper 854 arrived with Captain Dave Konys and his crew…

Fires 2021-0208 Semi Fire at Bourbon AVI 217

Once the smoke and steam cleared away, it was obvious to firefighters that the intense heat from the burning tire had melted and burned away the aluminum cover of the front wall of the trailer and fire had penetrated to the load of wheat mix grain inside the trailer. Sullivan firefighters laddered the trailer and ascended to check for fire extension inside the trailer…

Fires 2021-0208 Semi Fire WB 44 Bourbon AVI 230

Fires 2021-0208 Semi Fire WB 44 at Bourbon AVI 248

Great teamwork by two departments to a quick resolution in nasty weather conditions !!

Garage Fire at Bourbon July 19th, 2020

I was at home listening to the scanner when I heard Cencom kick Bourbon out for a Garage Fire on Bohenkamp Road, and knowing how close that is to Sullivan Fire Department`s district line, I knew Sullivan Fire would be enroute shortly. I drove to the location taking the back way in and soon spotted a column of heavy black smoke, parking in a small field with a few firefighters who drove direct to the call and a Crawford County deputy friend. As I approached Bourbon`s fire trucks, I saw firefighters stretching out their hoselines to make a defensive attack and a small car parked in front of a totally engulfed two car garage….

…and Chief Daniel Whatley manning a large diameter hoseline with a portable deck gun attached….

It was a few minutes before help arrived from Cuba and Sullivan Fire Districts and Bourbon`s firefighters made a great knockdown on the fire in that amount of time…

Fires 2020-0719 Garage Fire 664 Bohenkamp Rd Bourbon AVI 63

Fires 2020-0719 Garage Fire 664 Bohenkamp Road Bourbon AVI 91

It was about this time that Sullivan Pumper 854 arrived with Captain Dave Konys and his crew, and they entered the structure shortly to knock down remaining fire inside the building…

As I was leaving, I spotted Bourbon`s new tanker parked just off the driveway in the woods and snapped this photo of it…