Galesburg firefighters battled a structure fire on North Cedar Street on Saturday afternoon.
The Fire Department received the call at 2:22. According to GFD Chief Tom Simkins, Engine #53 from the Fremont Station arrived on scene at 2:26 to find smoke emitting from the eaves of a 2 1/2 story, wood framed, 2-family apartment building.
The upstairs tenant, according to Simkins, discovered the fire burning on the outside of a wall and called it in while getting his pets out of the house.
Simkins says that firefighters extinguished a fire on the outside of the home on the second floor while stretching a line to the interior to knock down a fire that had extended inside via a wall cavity into the attic space.
By 2:42 the fire was under control, and an all-clear was announced at 2:44.
Firefighters then put down several salvage covers to limit water damage to the home.
According to Simkins, a significant amount of overhaul was done to chase down fire in the wall and ceiling components that had been added onto over the years. The cause of the fire is being attributed to a failure of electrical wiring or equipment.
Simkins adds that with reduced manpower at the time of dispatch, a call-back of 5 off-duty firefighters was made by Battalion Chief Brad Stevenson immediately upon arrival on-scene.
During the fire fighting operation, these personnel answered other calls. Severe cold and the snow made for a more difficult battle with the blaze.
Local emergency agencies had been extra busy responding to a large number of auto accidents – 31 total calls on Saturday – leading to a reduced fire crew.
Assisting the fire department was the Galesburg Police Department and GHAS
