EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WAND) — The Effingham Fire Department was kept busy on Tuesday morning with two separate fires.
The first occurred in a jail cell at the Effingham County Jail. The department was called out around 9:53 a.m. No fire was showing from the outside of the building. A county deputy on the scene advised that the fire had been confined to a mattress in a cell and was already extinguished. Due to smoke on the first floor, the building was ventilated.
Two inmates were checked out by Rural Med EMS. Firefighters were on the scene just under an hour and were assisted by Effingham City Dispatch, Effingham Police Department, Rural Med EMS, Teutopolis FPD, and Effingham County Sheriff’s Office.
The cause is under investigation.
A house fire brought the department to the 600 block of North Avenue. Crews were dispatched around 11:09 a.m. for a house fire with flames coming out of the a bedroom window. Crews used a transitional attack and were able to extinguish the fire in under five minutes.
The occupant at the scene said that everyone was out of the residence. Crews checked for extension of the fire but it was contained to the bedroom of origin. The department said that this was because of working smoke alarms which were able to alert the resident and the fact that the bedroom door was shut.
The Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office, Effingham Fire Department, and Effingham Police Department are continuing the investigation.
The Effingham Fire Department was assisted by Effingham City Dispatch, Effingham Police Department, Rural Med EMS, Ameren Gas and Electric, Shumway FPD, Teutopolis FPD, and the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office.
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