Fire at Westclox in Peru controlled in less than 2 hours

Less than two hours after receiving the initial 911 call for a fire at the Westclox building in Peru, firefighters had the blaze under control.

Firefighters remained on scene until shortly after 11 p.m. Friday to move items from within the building and to spray areas of the building to prevent the fire from reigniting. No one was injured.

With the major Westclox fire from New Year’s Eve 2011 in mind, firefighters were breathing a sigh of relief Friday night.

“We made a bad thing turn out better than we could have hoped by the looks of it at arrival.”

—  Peru Fire Chief Jeff King

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Firefighters responded Friday, July 14, 2023, to a fire on the south side of the Westclox building in Peru. The fire was first reported at 8:19 p.m. (Scott Anderson)

Several fire departments responded to heavy flames and smoke reported on the south side of the building, with the initial call coming in at 8:19 p.m.

A fourth alarm of the Mutual Aid Box Alert System was issued, which brings aid from several different departments, but initial reports were the fire was less substantial than the major New Year’s fire from more than a decade ago, which involved firefighters attacking a fire in winter weather for two days.

An EMS box was activated to bring more ambulances to the building as a precaution, along with an Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System activation bringing more police officers to the area to help with traffic control.

U.S. 6 was closed from Creve Coeur Street to Pulaski Street. Fire on Fifth, the pizza restaurant in Westclox, was immediately evacuated, but the business posted to its website that it hopes to reopen Saturday. Star Union Spirits also posted to its Facebook its business appeared to be safe of damage Friday night.

Along with Peru, La Salle, Spring Valley, Utica, Troy Grove, Oglesby, Tonica, Granville and Standard firefighters, among others, responded.

“The whole region is here with police, fire and EMS,” said Peru Police Lt. Doug Bernabei.

“That page is one we never want to hear but for all of your hard work and dedication to your profession we made a bad thing turn out better than we could have hoped by the looks of it at arrival,” said Peru Fire Chief Jeff King on Facebook in a thank you to Friday’s responders. “To all involved thank you.”

A fire report at Westclox brings flashbacks to the major fire at the building Dec. 31, 2021-Jan. 1, 2022. Bernabei said the winter weather then “was much more challenging” and the flames then were more immediately apparent and widespread than Friday.

Nevertheless, many unhappy memories sprang to mind.

“A lot of things went through my mind racing here from my house, I can tell you that,” he said.

No cause was provided as of 10:30 p.m. Friday, as firefighters continued their work inside the building.