Community Risk

Illinois Firefighter Puts Out Fire at Neighbor's House

Aug. 3, 2014

An off-duty Bloomington fire captain put a fire out on his neighbor's deck with a garden hose which spared the house from any further damage.

Source The Pantagraph, Bloomington, Ill.

July 31--BLOOMINGTON -- Having a firefighter as a neighbor sure can come in handy.

Just ask a Bloomington family who was not at home on the city's southwest side late Thursday afternoon when a fire broke out on their deck.

A neighbor saw the fire and called the Bloomington Fire Department about 4:15 p.m. and also Bloomington fire Capt. Dave Burke, who lives across the street and was off duty at the time.

Burke ran across the street and was able to put the blaze out with a garden hose. His quick action spared the house at 2006 Fallen Oak Road from any further damage, said fellow fire Capt. Jeff Emmert.

"We were called off because the fire had already been put out," said Emmert, who described the damage as moderate.

An investigation determined the cause of the fire was spontaneous combustion of materials that had been used to stain a deck at the rear of the home, said Emmert.

The homeowners and the neighbor who called the fire in were not identified.

Firefighters cleared the scene about 30 minutes after they arrived.