Fire Destroys Longtime Altamont Structure

Thanks to Brian Gilbert for the photos

Fire destroyed a longtime Altamont structure overnight Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Altamont Fire Chief Jon Becker said an Altamont police officer on patrol spotted the fire at 11:46pm Wednesday. The fire was in a historic home that had been abandoned for at least two years. Becker said the fire is suspicious in nature since the house had been vacant for such a long period of time. He called in the Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office to investigate the fire.

The house is located at 301 South Edwards. Becker believes the house was built by the Rhodes family, who owned Rhodes Manufacturing, a leading business in Altamont in the late 1800s or early 1900s. 

Becker said the fire appeared to start in the northeast part of the second floor of the structure. The fire had involved in the entire second floor and spread to the first floor when firefighters reached the scene. Becker said the house is a total loss, but he said firefighters were successful in preventing the spread of the fire to neighboring structures. One firefighter was treated on scene, but no other injuries were reported.

Altamont firefighters were assisted by St. Elmo and Shumway firefighters, and Brownstown firefighters covered the Altamont station in case of another call. Tri-County Fire Protection District at Beecher City sent a tanker to the scene. Abbott EMS and A-1 Ambulance were on scene, along with Altamont police. 

Firefighters cleared the scene at 5:05am Thursday.