Shortly after 9 p.m. on Sunday night, firefighters in Southeastern Illinois responded to a massive fire at Bond Lumber and Hardware in Norris City, Illinois. The fire spread through the entire building before it was brought under control.
Initial reports suggest the fire started in the rear of the building near an office area. A final determination will take several days, but a fire investigator from the Illinois Office of the State Fire Marshal arrived shortly after midnight to begin investigating the cause.
Firefighters from six counties across two states assisted in extinguishing the blaze. Ladder trucks from Fairfield City Fire Department and Harrisburg played a major role in cooling the fire as the State Fire Marshal arrived. Fairfield Rural Fire Department sent two tankers and an engine to the scene. Additionally, a dozen tanker trucks shuttled water from the Norris City Reservoir to maintain an adequate water flow.
The responding agencies included Norris City Fire Protection District, Enfield, Carmi, Crossville, Shawneetown, Ridgway, Harrisburg, McLeansboro, Fairfield, Eldorado, and Equality fire departments from Illinois, as well as the Union County Fire Department from Union County, Kentucky.