PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Arson is suspected for a fire that resulted in a Central Peoria vacant house, the Peoria Fire Department reported Thursday.
According to Battalion Chief Ryan Calhoun, firefighters were called to 1905 N. North St., just before 6:45 p.m. on a report of a house fire. When they arrived, they saw smoke and flames coming from the second floor of the two-story home.
Fire crews ran hose lines through the front door of the home before encountering fire on the first floor. Crews advanced hose lines to the second floor and put out fires in the rear of the structure and attic, Calhoun said in a news release.
To improve the conditions of firefighters inside, a ventilation hole had to be cut above the fire to release superheated gases.
The home contained no occupants. It has been reported as a vacant structure with no gas or electricity.
The Peoria Fire Department Fire Investigator was called to the scene and determined the cause to be arson. A city building inspector checked the house for damage and determined it had to be demolished.
No one was injured and damage was estimated at $40,000.
