BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — Several people were displaced when a three-story apartment building in Bloomington caught fire last week.
No injuries were reported but the local chapter of the American Red Cross was called to help with tenants find shelter. Frank Friend of the Bloomington Fire Department said the fire should be a reminder to have a fire extinguisher on hand, check smoke alarms monthly and to change the alarms’ batteries twice a year.
On April 20, at about 7:41 p.m., firefighters were sent to 2608 Hall Court on a report of a fire. A tenant reported smoke from around a washer and dryer in their apartment. When they arrived, they found no visible smoke or flames, according to a departmental news release.
But use of a thermal imaging camera indicated the fire was trapped in the walls of a third-floor apartment and had spread to multiple levels of the building. Given the size of the building and the nature of the fire, firefighters called for backup, Friend said in a news release.
The building was evacuated and firefighters reunited several pets with their families as well as a small child who was unhurt.
Crews inside the building were opening up floors and walls to expose the fire so it could be put out. Drone footage from overhead showed the fire had spread throughout all three floors including into the attic. In all, it took about three hours to bring the fire under control.
A cause for the blaze has not yet been determined.
