PANA - The Pana Fire Department received help from five other local fire departments in battling a house fire that claimed the life of one man.
Fire officials say crews were dispatched to a home in the 400 block of East Fourth Street at about 10:10 a.m. Firefighters who arrived on scene reported seeing heavy smoke and fire coming form the building. During a preliminary search for people inside of the home, firefighters say they encountered heavy fire venting throughout the building, causing crews to quickly clear out of the house.
Pana fire crews were assisted by firefighters from Tower Hill, Nokomis, Oconee, Assumption, and Taylorville Fire Departments. Once the flames were extinguished, firefighters entered the building, and found a man who had died near a locked interior door. The man's identity is being withheld pending the notification of family.
The cause and origin of this fire are under investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marshall's Office, Pana Police Department, and the Christian County Coroner's Office.
