Excerpts from the JournalStandard.com:
Stockton firefighters are assessing the damage after their unoccupied firehouse caught fire Thursday morning, severely damaging the building and equipment stored inside, Stockton Police Chief LaDon Trost said.
The fire was reported about 11 a.m. and extinguished about 1:30 p.m. at the station. Some equipment, including a tanker truck, was stored in a building across the street.
“Unfortunately, all their air packs were located in the building where the fire was, so they weren’t able to gain entry,” Trost said. “They were able to work on the fire until other departments arrived.”
Authorities believe the fire started in a piece of equipment inside a pull-behind trailer, Trost said.
Stockton fire truck damaged during fire at the fire station 2-25-16. reader submission
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Excerpts from THonline.com:
Clad in blue jeans and hooded sweatshirts, Stockton firefighters battled a blaze that hit them where they live.
A witness reported seeing smoke coming from the village’s fire station around 11 a.m. Within minutes, volunteer firefighters were on scene from nearby agencies to help save the headquarters of the Stockton Fire Department.
No one was injured, according to Fire Chief Randy Baysinger. But the fire likely caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to firefighting equipment.
The fire likely was caused by an electrical malfunction in one of the department’s trailers, Baysinger said. The trailer was completely destroyed, as was one front-line engine. Several other vehicles were substantially damaged.
Fire departments from Stockton, Pearl City, Scales Mound, Elizabeth, Warren, Lena and Apple River assisted at the scene.
Baysinger said the department still will be able to provide fire protection for the community. Officials from neighboring fire departments have offered the use of their equipment, he said.
