July 19--CLINTON -- Two firefighters were injured while fighting a fire in the 100 block of South Quincy Street in Clinton early this morning.
Clinton Fire Chief Shaun Milton said a Heyworth firefighter was transported to a Bloomington-Normal hospital by ambulance, but he did not know his name, condition, or what caused the injury. He said a Clinton firefighter suffered a sprained ankle, but he did not believe the injury was serious.
Ameren crews are attempting to restore power to portions of the downtown area. Milton said he expects service to be restored to everyone by later today.
A report from a Clinton police officer of heavy smoke rolling from an apartment building in the 100 block of South Quincy Street brought about 70 fire fighters to downtown Clinton shortly after 5 a.m. Friday.
"We got here and had smoke coming from the first and second floors and searched through the upstairs for residents, but didn't find any," Milton said. "After we got done, we learned that everyone was already out."
The two-story brick building sustained heavy damage, with flames shooting from the roof after fire fighters managed to open up the roof about an hour after they arrived on the scene.
At 7 a.m., fire fighters from Clinton, Wapella, Maroa, Kenney, Heyworth, Argenta-Oreana, and Hickory Point departments were struggling to save two adjacent businesses. Two of three units in the building were rented but residents escaped unharmed, said Assistant Clinton Fire Chief Josh Karr,
The fire was extinguished by 8:30 a.m., but Milton said crews would remain at the scene throughout the day to extinguish hot spots.
Robert Hawkins watched as fire fighters worked to save his business, Advanced Telephone and Technology, connected to the fire -affected structure by a common wall in the brick structure.
"We were still finishing the remodeling," said Hawkins, who has owned the building since December 31.
The back portion of the building that housed the dance floor of the Clinton Elks Club in the 1930's was still undergoing a remodel, he said. Hawkins received a call about the fire from an alarm company at 5:15 a.m.
Two apartments in the Hawkins building were unoccupied. A laundromat is located on the south side of the fire-ravaged units. The laundromat also suffered fire, smoke and water damage
The Red Cross said the fire left three families homeless. Volunteers are assisting the families with their immediate disaster caused needs including food and shelter.
The Red Cross also set up canteen services to provide hydration and snacks to approximately 60 first responders battling the blaze.
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