Spring Valley firefighter injured during 3-house fire

Residents were able to escape uninjured from a house fire in Spring Valley that damaged three homes Saturday afternoon.

A Spring Valley firefighter, however, was injured with burns from the fire on the 100 block of East Caroline Street, said Fire Chief Todd Bogatitus. The firefighter was taken to St. Margaret’s Health-Spring Valley for treatment.

Bogatitus said the call came in at 11:08 a.m. and initially a resident was reported trapped in the home. Firefighters learned on arrival the resident was able to escape through the backdoor, as the front of the house was fully engulfed in flames.

The flames and smoke could be seen from blocks away as the fire spread to neighboring homes. Firefighters were able to limit the damage to neighboring homes. One of the adjacent homes had heavy smoke and water damage, and was rendered uninhabitable Saturday. Another adjacent home had burnt siding and fencing.

The house where the fire originated was a total loss.

The Illinois State Fire Marshal was called to investigate the cause. A second Mutual Aid Box Alarm System was activated, bringing a number of fire departments to the scene, including Ladd, Peru, La Salle, Princeton, Cherry, Oglesby, Bureau, Dalzell and Granville. Utica manned Spring Valley’s station during the fire. Additionally, 10/33 Ambulance of Spring Valley, Peru, La Salle, Utica, Mendota and LaMoille EMS crews responded.

With the fire within a block of Route 89, crews funneled traffic to one lane on the highway as fire trucks utilized hydrants in the neighborhood.