Investigators probe cause of Stanford blaze that injured volunteer firefighter

Posted on January 2, 2019
Allin Twp fire
About 50 volunteer firefighters from nine departments fought the blaze at T&A Automotive in Stanford. (Allin Township Fire Protection District photo)

By Howard Packowitz

STANFORD – A team of McLean County fire investigators are determining the cause of a blaze New Years Night that destroyed a business in Stanford, and injured one of the estimated 50 firefighters who battled the flames.

It took volunteer firefighters from nine area departments about 3 1/2 hours to extinguish the fire at T&A Automotive on County Road 800 N., also known as Olympia School Road.

Allin Township Fire Chief Brian Foley said one of his firefighters from Stanford was treated for minor injures and released from OSF St. Joseph Medical Center.

Foley said firefighters were called about 8 p.m. Tuesday and found the business to be fully-engulfed in flames when they arrived.

The chief said the business is a total loss. Two cars inside were also destroyed. A car parked outside was damaged too.

The McLean County Sheriff’s Department and Stanford Police provided traffic control while firefighters from Allin, Dale, and Bloomington Townships, Danvers, Carlock, McLean, Atlanta, Minier, and Armington worked to put out the flames.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…