CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — Firefighters responded to a blaze at a condemned three-story apartment building in the 300 block of South Country Fair Drive Saturday morning, battling the fire from the exterior after being pulled from the building due to unsafe conditions.
The Champaign Fire Department was dispatched at 10:26 a.m. after a passerby reported the fire. Crews arrived to find smoke and fire coming from a lower-level apartment and initially attacked the blaze from the outside before briefly entering the building with multiple hose lines to confirm no one was inside.
Due to the building’s vacant and abandoned status, firefighters were ordered out for their safety and continued operations from the exterior.
The cause of the fire has not been determined. Fire investigators were unable to fully examine the scene due to unsafe building conditions. No firefighter injuries were reported.
Multiple agencies assisted at the scene, including the Champaign Police Department, Urbana Fire Department, Champaign Public Works, Champaign Neighborhood Services, METCAD 9-1-1, Carle Arrow Ambulance, the Salvation Army, and Illinois American Water Company.
The Urbana Fire Department, Savoy Fire Department, and Cornbelt Fire Protection District also provided station coverage throughout Champaign while crews remained on scene.