Family threw charcoal from grill in trash before Shiloh home fire started, chief says
After grilling over the weekend, renters of a Shiloh home dumped the used charcoal in a trash can that rested up against the house, where a fire started Tuesday night, authorities say.
As of Wednesday morning, the official cause of the house fire was still “undetermined,” but O’Fallon Fire Chief Brad White said it’s plausible that it could have been accidental because of the disposed charcoal.
No one was injured in the large fire in the 2700 block of Flora Lake Court, according to White. He said only one person was home when the fire was discovered outside the house.
Evan Montgomery-Recht, who owns the property with his wife, didn’t want to comment on the fire pending outcome of a state fire marshal’s investigation. He said, however, that the home was occupied by renters.
The O’Fallon Fire Department, with mutual aid from Fairview and Lebanon-Emerald Mound fire departments, worked to put the fire out from around 6 p.m. until 9:30 p.m., when the scene was cleared.
The roof and attic of the home were destroyed by the fire, and the interior was damaged by water, White said Wednesday morning after leaving the scene with the Illinois State Fire Marshal.
White said the department recommends putting used charcoal in a metal container like a bucket filled with water to make sure it’s completely extinguished before throwing it out. Charcoal can also be put in aluminum foil because the wrapping isn’t combustible, according to White.
This story was originally published June 12, 2019 at 11:56 AM.
