A possible Swedish Days first in Geneva – a flaming port-a-potty

GENEVA – A porta-potty on fire might be a first for Swedish Days, said Carolyn Hill, who snapped a few photos of the blue with orange flames shooting out of said structure.

Hill was walking with her husband, former 1st Ward Alderman Sam Hill, about 11:30 a.m. June 24 – coming from the carnival on Campbell and Fourth streets – when they said they saw smoke coming from one of three blue porta-potties.

“There was smoke coming from underneath the porta-potty, when – all of a sudden – there were flames coming out,” Sam Hill said. “I was ready to call the fire department. Then we heard sirens, and they showed up. But it was pretty far gone.”

Carolyn Hill said she saw the smoke before she realized it was coming from the porta-potty.

“I thought somebody had a grill,” Carolyn Hill said. “I thought, ‘That is kind of strange for somebody to have a grill.’”

Three men in uniforms grabbed the one that was smoking and moved it away from the other two, Carolyn Hill said.

Then the flames started and reduced the plastic porta-potty to a pile of charred ash, she said.

“At the end of the day, we took the grandkids to meet their dad,” Carolyn Hill said. “So what was the best thing about Swedish Days? Watching the porta-potty burn.” That’s according to the grandchildren.

Geneva Fire Department Battalion Chief Kevin Forest said a fire crew extinguished the fire as the porta-potty had collapsed into itself. Fire officials also notified the company that owned the porta-potties, he said. The loss was $1,300, Forest said.

As to whether the fire was considered arson, Forest said the cause of the blaze was undetermined.