Posts Tagged Westclox complex fire

Guilty plea from Peru fire

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: , , ,

5-Alarm ++ fire in Peru (IL) – update

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

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

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

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

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

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

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

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

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

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

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

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

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

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

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

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

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

Massive fire in Peru IL Western Clock Company

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

Massive fire in Peru, IL Western Clock Company

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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,