URBANA, IL (Chambana Today) – At approximately 7:30 a.m. this morning, the Urbana Fire Department responded to a fire at 2017 Philo Road, a three-story apartment building. The call came from construction personnel working across the street, who noticed smoke and flames coming from the building. Firefighters from Engine 252, stationed nearby on South Philo Road, were immediately notified and arrived on scene within one minute.
Upon arrival, the crew found fire coming from a third-floor window. Firefighters quickly applied water to the fire from the exterior before entering the building. At the same time, Engine 252 learned that there were people inside the building and requested additional support. This triggered a second alarm, bringing two more engines, an additional ladder, and additional chief officers to the scene.
Inside, firefighters located one person and swiftly escorted them to safety. Fortunately, the individual only suffered smoke inhalation and was transported to a nearby medical facility. Fire crews worked to extinguish the fire, ensure it had not spread further, and conduct a thorough search of the building to confirm that it was empty. A total of 35 fire personnel from the Urbana and Champaign Fire Departments responded to the scene.
The fire was declared under control within 15 minutes of the first engine’s arrival. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Urbana Fire Department Investigation Team. Damage estimates have not yet been determined.