Fairview Heights endures restaurant fire, flooded streets and downed trees during storm
First responders in Fairview Heights were particularly busy Friday night due to severe thunderstorms that brought heavy rain and high winds to much of the St. Louis region.
Fairview-Caseyville Township Fire Protection District responded to seven calls in two and a half hours, beginning about 9 p.m., according to Deputy Chief Justin Loepker. That’s compared to an average two calls a day.
Problems included downed trees and power lines, people stranded in water and a fire at the Crafty Crab restaurant.
“Across town, there were quite a few limbs that had dropped, blocking roadways and causing minor traffic issues for us and even for people just driving around at the time,” Loepker said.
A large tree went through the roof of a home on Judy Lane, essentially cutting it in half, as shown in dramatic photos that Fairview Heights Police Chief Steve Johnson posted on the police department’s Facebook page.
The only reported injury of the evening involved a fireman taken to the hospital for observation, Loepker said.
The fire department received the call about the Crafty Crab fire at 11 p.m., just as the restaurant was closing. Flames were visibly shooting up from the roof when Loepker arrived.
“We were able to stop the fire in that area and save over 80% of the building,” he said.
O’Fallon Fire Rescue and French Village Fire Department assisted. Officials haven’t determined the fire’s cause and aren’t sure if it was storm-related, Loepker said. It’s under investigation.
The worst flooding occurred at the intersection of Illinois 159 and U.S. 50, according to Capt. C.J. Beyersdorfer, deputy police chief. Photos also show standing water on the parking lot of St. Clair Square shopping mall.
In his Facebook post, Chief Johnson thanked police, firefighters, ambulance services and dispatchers who worked Friday night.
“The 50 mile an hour rain/down pour wreaked some havoc but in the end injuries were minimized,” he wrote. “All first responders did a great job when visibility and communications was limited and hundreds of calls were pending.”
“I am sure everyone is drying out their uniforms today,” Johnson added.
