Sep. 5—LINCOLN — Crews from more than a dozen agencies spent much of Thursday battling a tenacious fire in downtown Lincoln that gutted businesses, displaced residents and sent one firefighter to the hospital.
The community rushed to help, with several local businesses donating food and water to the first responders. Firefighters were expected to continue working through the evening, and information about the origin and cause of the fire was still being developed late in the afternoon.
The fire caused heavy damage to About Fun Inflatables, 129 S. Sangamon St., and Tactical Bunker, 127 S. Sangamon St., as well as apartments above those businesses.
Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch, among those gathered at the scene Thursday, said he was thankful to the surrounding communities that responded with fire crews, ladder trucks and tankers.
"Based on what I've been told, this could have been much worse without that support," he said.
Bystanders said the fire started around 8 a.m. It was mostly under control by 1:45 p.m. but picked up again between 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Lincoln Fire Department Chief Aaron Johnson said around 3:30 p.m. that the fire was fully under control, but that crews would continue working the scene throughout the evening.
He said all building occupants were evacuated and that none of them were injured. One firefighter was taken to a hospital for observation but was released a short time later, he said.
As of mid-afternoon Thursday, Johnson was unsure how many people had lived in the building. The American Red Cross, which was providing assistance to the displaced people, also could not immediately specify how many were affected.
In addition to the Lincoln Fire Department and Lincoln Fire Protection District, emergency vehicles could be seen from departments in Athens, Atlanta, Armington, Decatur, Elkhart, Emden, Hartsburg, Hickory Point, Latham, Middletown, Mount Pulaski, New Holland, Sherman and Warrensburg, as well as the Logan County Emergency Management Agency, Springfield Emergency Disaster, Logan County Paramedics Association and the Sangamon County Rescue Squad.
Josh Glazik, 30, lives in one of the affected apartments and made the 911 call this morning.
"Took my kids to school this morning, came back, sat down, and I smelled smoke," he said. "I opened the front door, and you couldn't even see through the hallway. I called 911, got my stuff and got out of there."
Glazik said he lives in the building with his four children, ages 4 to 11.
"I'm just glad it wasn't in the middle of the night," he said, adding, "It is what it is. I'm glad everyone's OK."
Matthew Wood of Bloomington said he rushed down to Lincoln this morning to try to find his mom, who lives in the building that caught fire. Wood, a former resident of the building himself, said there were at least six apartments in the building, along with multiple bathrooms.
"I loved it when I lived here," he said. "It was nice. I loved it because I was by Amtrak."
Ami Cleveland, 30, owns the Ami-Gos' World restaurant at 124 S. Chicago St., across the railroad tracks from the fire.
"It's scary with it being so close, because we literally bought this place because we had a fire at our first establishment and lost everything," she said.
"It's triggering, to say the least," she said, while adding she is confident that the community will support those displaced by the fire.
"I know that they'll pull together. This community is awesome, especially in times like this," she said.
Local business owners have already taken action to help those affected by the fire: The Lincoln IGA store has donated about 20 cases of water for firefighters and others working the scene, and Casey's and Papa John's have donated pizzas.
Corey Sutton, IGA manager for 33 years, said it was a no-brainer to donate, because when his store had a fire a couple of years ago, everyone helped them out.
"That's the town of Lincoln. They just come together," he said. He added that customers have also been coming in to buy Gatorade and snacks for those affected by or assisting with the fire.
Welch, the mayor, said the condition of buildings in downtown Lincoln is something the city has been working to address.
"These are very old buildings down here ... that haven't received as much attention as they probably deserved over the years. But Lincoln is working with building owners to update and make them more safe," he said.
He added, "Buildings can be replaced. People, that's a different story."
Welch also acknowledged the string of back luck Lincoln has experienced in recent years: Lincoln College closed in May 2022, followed by Lincoln Christian University in May 2024. Now, Lincoln's Logan Correctional Center is in danger of closing, as the state plans to tear down the prison and rebuild it — hours north, in Will County.
"I think most communities, they go through things like this," Welch said. "The college and the correctional center are really big things that are out of our control. It's very unfortunate what's happening here this morning."
Rachel Oney with The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services North and Central Illinois Division was downtown with snacks, sandwiches and cold drinks for volunteers and emergency responders. She said the agency would provide hotel rooms for those displaced by the fire.
For those wanting to assist in their efforts, Oney said cash donations to the Lincoln Life Center would be most helpful. Donations can be made online at bit.ly/salvationarmylincoln. The Life Center can also be reached at 217-732-7890 or at 309 N. Kickapoo St.
Jayce Eustice, regional communications manager at the American Red Cross of Illinois, said volunteers have been sent to Lincoln to provide assistance to residents and address their immediate needs.
"We have been in contact with one individual who has been involved in the fire and assessing their immediate needs at this time as well," Eustice said.
Eustice said they were not yet sure how many individuals or units were affected.
Those who have been affected and have not yet been helped are encouraged to call the Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
"We'll get them in contact with our volunteers down there and get them what they need," Eustice added.
Lee Enterprises reporter Mateusz Janik contributed to this report.
HOW TO HELP
Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services North and Central Illinois Division is collecting monetary and in-kind donations to help those affected by the fire.
To donate, visit bit.ly/salvationarmylincoln online or contact the Lincoln Life Center at 217-732-7890 or at 309 N. Kickapoo St. in Lincoln.
To assist the Red Cross' efforts — or if you were affected by the fire and have not yet been helped — call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Contact D. Jack Alkire at (309)820-3275.
Twitter: @d_jack_alkire
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