Decatur IL City Faces Another Vacant House Fire Firefighters

DECATUR — Another blaze at an apparently vacant Decatur house sent firefighters into action Sunday evening.

A large single-story home with basement at 1405 E. Hickory St. was reported on fire just before 7 p.m., and fire crews arrived to find smoke showing out of a back door.

“The house was unsecured, it was open and we went in and found the fire in the front northeast corner of the basement,” Battalion Chief Wade Watson said. “It really took only about 10 to 15 minutes to put it out. The house appeared to be vacant, although there may have been squatters living there.”

The home had gas and electric service hooked up, which firefighters pulled. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Neighbors living nearby said they believed the home was being lived in and had occasionally seen people coming and going.

“Yeah, I thought someone lives there. They really kept to themselves, but they lived there,” said Robby Weddle, who lives in the neighborhood.

“I came out to see all the smoke coming out of everywhere, but I have no idea if anyone was home there tonight.”

Decatur has been plagued by arson fires set in vacant and dilapidated homes dotted throughout many city neighborhoods. A house in the 500 block of East Center Street burned Wednesday night and was deemed a suspicious fire, and the fire department said there have already been 20 arson fires in the city so far this year. FBI crime statistics for Decatur listed 30 arson fires in 2017, an 87 percent jump over 16 arson cases logged in 2016.

Interim City Manager Billy Tyus said last week that the city was making a renewed effort to get rid of dilapidated properties, with close to $1 million budgeted for that purpose.

An item on the city council agenda for tonight, if approved, would see a total of 29 empty homes demolished or due to be demolished this year, Tyus told the Herald & Review.

“The goal is to have 47 (set for demolition) by February 2019, barring any issues,” he said.

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