Posts Tagged massive fire in Peru IL

Guilty plea from Peru fire

Jan 26

Posted by bgshap in Fire Service News | Comments off

The Times has an article referencing a court hearing for the youth charged with setting the fire in Peru, IL last month that destroyed the Westclox facility.

On Tuesday in La Salle County Juvenile Court, a 15-year-old Peru boy said “guilty” in such a low voice, the judge asked him to repeat.

The boy was admitting he set fire Dec. 31 to the former Westclox building in Peru, which gutted about 25 percent of the structure. A firefighter was also injured. The boy’s codefendant, Steven M. Gallacher, 17, La Salle, is charged in adult court, with his next hearing to be Thursday, Feb. 23.

The entire article can be found HERE, and our previous posts with photos can be found HERE and HERE.

Tags: guilty plea in arson fire, massive fire in Peru IL, Westclox clock factory fire, Westclox complex fire

5-Alarm ++ fire in Peru (IL) – update

Jan 3

Posted by bgshap in Apparatus on-scene, Fire, Fire Service News, Reader submission | 1 Comment

Tim Olk took a drive on Monday to visit the fire scene in Peru, IL. When he went down there, they were over 30 hours into the fire and had requested a 4th Alarm for tankers to the scene. Tim found fires still burning and producing large amounts of smoke throughout many areas of the complex. He took a large amount of photos during the time he was on-scene which will be online in the coming hours. Here are a few samples of what he found in Peru. Earlier coverage of the fire can be found HERE.

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

A Pierce tower ladder from the Mendota Fire Department works an elevated master stream into one building in the Westclox complex in Peru, IL. Tim Olk photo

Another Pierce tower ladder, this one belonging to the Peru Fire Department, works at an adjacent building. Tim Olk photo

Firefighters direct a hand line into one of the buildings in an effort to extinguish some of the fire that still burns more than day after the fire broke out. Tim Olk photo

A section of the former clock company that has been totally destroyed. Tim Olk photo

An engine from LaSalle pumps water from the porta-tanks that are constantly refilled by one of the many tankers on the scene. Tim Olk photo

A tanker from the Oglesby Fire District takes a turn at the porta-tanks. Tim Olk photo

The water supply officer prepares to send this tanker from the Standard Fire Protection District to dump it's water. Tim Olk photo

A Darley engine from the Dixon Rural Fire District pumps at the fire scene. Tim Olk photo

Firefighters were kept at a distance during the height of the fire due to the intense heat and are just now able to move in and hit all of the remaining fires. Here they douse a dumpster in a loading dock area near several burned trailers. Tim Olk photo

Well over a day after the initial fire was intentionally set, parts of the scene are still shrouded in thick smoke. Tim Olk photo

A Pierce Arrow engine from Peru pumps from another porta-tank set up in a different section of the complex. Tim Olk photo

Tim has a large gallery of images that can be found HERE.

Tags: Dixon Rural Fire Department, elliptical tanker, fire service tanker operations, laSalle Fire Department, massive fire in Peru IL, Mendota Fire Department, Oglesby Fire Department, Pierce Arrow, Pierce tower ladder, port-a-tank, Spartan Metro Star, Standard Fire Protection District, tanker shuttle at fire scene, Tim Olk, W.S. Darley engine, water tanker, Westclox complex fire

5-Alarm fire in Peru (IL)

Jan 1

Posted by bgshap in Fire Service News | Comments off

Firegeezer.com has been following a story about a huge fire which broke out around midnight at the former Wextclox watch and clock factory complex in Peru (100 miles southwest of Chicago). He reports that

The formidable complex of 44 buildings occupies a 2-block by 4-block area in downtown Peru, located in north-central Illinois. The fire was still burning out of control at daybreak and some nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution.

The fire department calls the incident a ‘very large fire” and there are units from many other departments in the region on the scene.

The Washington Post National has an article with photos HERE which reports that:

Police Chief Doug Bernabei said at a news conference Sunday that two teenage boys, a 15-year-old from Peru and a 17-year-old from La Salle, were charged with aggravated arson. The older teen, who’s being charged as an adult, appeared in court Sunday and a judge set his bond at $250,000, according to the News Tribune.

LaSalle County State’s Attorney Brian Towne said the two teens entered the building, poured gas from a can they found there onto a boat stored inside, set it on fire and then left, the newspaper reported. Towne said a tip that an anonymous caller gave Peru police led officers to the two suspects.

The fire, which caused propane tanks to explode, prompted a mandatory evacuation of homes near the complex. But Eccles said that by 11 a.m., nearly everyone was allowed to return home. Those who weren’t were being kept out because the smoke from the fire was blowing directly at their homes.

News Tribune Amanda Whitlock Associated Press

Here are recordings from the 5-Alarm fire at the landmark Westclox factory in Peru. The fire was intentionally set by 15 and 17-year old boys who timed it so well that the fire was toned out at 8 seconds after midnight. A LaSalle FF was injured and underwent surgury this morning.

Watch live video from DeKalb Feed on Justin.tv

The 5th Alarm is struck at the beginning of Part 2

Watch live video from DeKalb Feed on Justin.tv

Tags: Firegeezer.com, fireground radio traffic, massive fire in Peru IL, radioman 911, Westclox clock factory fire