Thursday, Jun. 18, 2009

Firefighter remains hospitalized after furniture store blaze

A Prairie Du Pont firefighter who responded to a fire that destroyed the Day's Discount Furniture and Pawn store near Cahokia remained hospitalized Thursday.

Prairie Du Pont Fire Chief Aaron Hoock declined to release the firefighter's name and condition, and the circumstances that led to his hospitalization.

"He was transported from the fire scene," Hoock said. "He was feeling ill. He is doing better. He is still in the hospital."

Camp Jackson Fire Chief Chris Davis said the firefighter was hospitalized in serious condition, but declined further comment.

"What he was doing at the time of his injury, I have no clue," Davis said. "Nobody went in. It was an exterior attack only. The fire was too bad and too hot. We couldn't go in."

State fire marshals on Thursday were still investigating the cause of the fire, which gutted and destroyed all the contents of a building located in the 2900 block of Camp Jackson Road in unincorporated Cahokia.

About 90 firefighters responded at about 10:15 p.m. Monday and extinguished the blaze in about four hours.

Davis said the fire drew a large response because he needed tanker trucks to bring water to the site.

"It was a big commercial building that was full of furniture," Davis said. "It's a big fire load, a lot of stuff to burn. You just need an abundant amount of water."

Firefighters from the following departments also responded: Dupo, Northwest, Cahokia, Alorton, Church Road, Golden Gardens, Midway, Signal Hill, Millstadt, Columbia, Villa Hills, Freeburg, Smithton, State Park Place, Mitchell, Long Lake and Caseyville.