Cigarette Likely Caused Fire in Historic Illinois Building

Nov. 29--ALTON -- A fire, likely caused by an unwatched cigarette, destroyed an apartment in a historic Alton building and heavily damaged two other single-bedroom units Saturday morning.

Firefighters were called to 2441 Mills Avenue at approximately 11:37 a.m. Alton Fire Department Battalion Chief Ron Scott said all occupants of the eight-unit apartment building had exited safely by the time crews arrived.

Scott said the fire began in Apartment F of the building, where a single mom lives with her daughter. The woman told fire investigators she believed an unattended cigarette ignited a couch in the living room, spreading to the kitchen and into the cupboards. From there, flames reached the attic.

"Our guys did a great job of containing the fire," Scott said. "Once it reached the attic, it easily could have spread to other apartments. If that would have happened, the entire building could have been destroyed. It could have been much worse."

It took crews about 30 minutes to extinguish the blaze. Two other apartments were left uninhabitable due to water damage, one of which wasn't being rented.

The Red Cross assisted the displaced residents. The building, owned by Wendell McAfoos, is known as the original "Mills Farmhouse" -- the namesake of the avenue, built in the 1850s, a neighbor at the scene told a Telegraph reporter.

A voice mail left with McAfoos wasn't immediately returned Saturday evening.

Managing editor Nathan Woodside can be reached at 618-208-6456. ___

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