Pantagraph.com Weather forecast, local radar and more
NewsTuesday, August 28, 2007 7:45 PM CDT
Comments Comments (34) | E-mail this page E-mail this page | Print this page Print this page | Enlarge type Enlarge type | Reduce type Reduce type | Search archives Search archives | RSS RSS feeds | Add to My Yahoo! Add to My Yahoo!
Fire damages Lexington apartments, Fireside Inn
By Bob Holliday
bholliday@pantagraph.com
Advertisement

LEXINGTON — A fire in the business district here is expected to have an economic impact both on the city and business community.

The Fireside Inn restaurant and lounge, which were damaged, likely will not reopen immediately and that could mean a sales tax loss for the small city. | Photo gallery

City Collector Margaret Quinley said the economic impact “will be painful.” She was unable to give an estimate, saying the state lumps all drinking and eating places together in its sales tax reports to the city.

The fire damaged several second-floor apartments. The Fireside Inn takes up the first floor of two buildings in that block. Mike Regilio of Bloomington is co-owner of the section of the historic building housing the Fireside Inn.

The building was built in 1903 and Regilio said a fire inspector told him there was no structural damage.

Standing outside the building Tuesday afternoon, Regilio said, “I’m just trying to take it all in.”

Several tenants of apartments above the business were displaced by the fire.

Loretta Staples woke up to smoke alarms. She and others made it out without injury, but Staples lost one of her cats, Pooh Bear. She got another cat and dog out safely and is staying in Hudson with her daughter.

Brad Musselman of Bloomington owns the section of the building where Staples lives. “Depending on what’s up there, we might connect a building shoot and strip it out,” he said Tuesday afternoon.

A spokeswoman for the state fire marshal’s office, Patti Thompson, said the fire was “electrical in nature.” Thompson said there was “no sign of anything suspicious.”

“I imagine that an insurance company will now probably bring in an electrical engineer,” Thompson said.

The fire started in a second-floor bedroom on the south side of the building housing the Fireside Inn, said Lexington Assistant Fire Chief Mark Brown. He did not have a damage estimate.

“The Fireside Inn is directly below the apartment,” Brown said, adding the inn sustained water and some smoke damage.

Firefighters were paged at 11:40 p.m. and stayed until 4:30 a.m., he said.

Lexington firefighters were assisted by Colfax, Cooksville, Chenoa, Gridley, Towanda and the city of Bloomington as well as Lexington ambulance and Emergency Services and Disaster Agency, he said.

The economic impact of the fire extends to Christopher Phelps, who owns the building two doors east of the Fireside Inn and is renovating the downstairs as “Java Café.”

“We have a common roof and there is severe smoke damage,” Phelps said. His planned opening of May 2008 will be delayed.

Phelps lives above the property in the 300 block of West Main Street and saw smoke about 11:15 p.m. “I was in my underwear but grabbed pants and shirt and we shot down the stairs,” he said.

Take a look
Loretta Staples salvages garden plants from outside her apartment at 300 block of West Main Street, Tuesday, August 28, 2007, after fire broke out about in the apartment next to hers, at left, around midnight. Staples' apartment had heavy smoke damage. (Pantagraph, David Proeber)
Video
Most commented stories
Browse online archives
Recent issues:
Reader comments on this story - 34 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Rachael daughter of resident. wrote on Sep 5, 2007 9:35 AM:

" I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has helped in this horrible event. I also want to say a special thanks to the neighbors who took the time to get my mom and sister up and out of the apartment. Also to the people helping the residents get there belongings out of the smoke damaged apartments and to the others for offering their homes to the displaced tentants. I hope that everyone who has read this article and rents apartments of their own that they will check into renters insurance, because with out that my mom would be with out clothes due to smoke damage. Thank you all once again. "

Confused wrote on Sep 3, 2007 6:39 PM:

" Why does Lexington not call Normal for assistance since their apparatus are closer than Bloomington's? "

resident wrote on Aug 30, 2007 2:27 PM:

" I would like to express my thanks to all of those who helped. Firemen, policemen, red cross, church, Josh & Lindsey. I don't care who didn't do what, I care that someone did something. Because of you sometime in the near future I will sleep a peaceful night. I am alive and so is my daughter along with my dear neighbors. I will miss you all. You have all been good to live next door to. Take care in your next ventures in life and don't forget that you will all will be special in my memories. I am glad to say that I am from Lexington and will be living here soon again. Again Thank You ALL "

To: Apartment Resident wrote on Aug 30, 2007 2:37 AM:

" Ashamed of the Police Departments? Who do you think was the people who made sure all of the residents in the rest of the building got out? Who do you think was kicking in the door trying to wake up the sleeping residents? Who do you think went back into the building looking for Ms. Staples cat o his hands and knees before having to get out because of the thick smoke even before the Fire Department got there? Everyone loves a fireman, but hates the police until you need them... "

resident daughter wrote on Aug 29, 2007 6:41 PM:

" i would like to give my condolenses to laretta and i wish her the best.Next i want to give my condolences to all of those familys who lost there homes above the fireside.i wish my luck to josh and mike. evoryone who helped get these people out i give my the most thanks.i would to say thank you to all of the fire fighters who help put this fire out.You all saved peoples lifes and we all give our thank . All of the buildings had damage but i want to say im soory to those who lost there personal belongings.I would like to give my cares out to everyone who went through these damages.I give you my condolences to everyone in the apartment above those buildings "

residents daughter wrote on Aug 29, 2007 6:33 PM:

" i am a resident and im very sorry to laretta for her losing her cat i want to wish her luck i also would like to say good luck to josh and mike all of the residents have damages but i would like to wish all of the familys that live above the fireside luck and to any one who lost something inportana thank you all of the fire departments that helped take that fire away my luck goes to every one i send my cares to everyone "

Apartment Resident wrote on Aug 29, 2007 1:11 PM:

" I was one of the residents living in the apartments above the Fireside Inn. The only people who had renters insurance was my mom. I would like to say thank you to the firefighters who responded and who helped some of us in such a difficult time. As for the police departments that responded you should be ashamed, not once were any of the residents asked if we were alright by any of the police. Also a thank you goes out to the Red Cross and Church for everything they provided for us. Thank you to our neighbors who woke us up, you could have left us all up there but you stopped and made sure we all got out. Thank you to the community for caring so much about us, it makes me feel proud that I live in such a great place! "

Anchor wrote on Aug 29, 2007 12:43 PM:

" Anchor did not respond and they don't even have any type of ladder truck. The only rural department with any kind of ariel is Arrowsmith! People need to get there facts straight before they leave comments!! "

I heard that... wrote on Aug 29, 2007 11:11 AM:

" Anchor responded with their 100' aerial truck. "

Heyworth wrote on Aug 28, 2007 11:42 PM:

" was in Heyworth "

... wrote on Aug 28, 2007 11:41 PM:

" Why would Heyworth be there? Just curious? "

Where was... wrote on Aug 28, 2007 8:08 PM:

" Heyworth? "

resident's sister wrote on Aug 28, 2007 6:17 PM:

" I would first like to thank whoever it was that woke my sister(no easy task there) and my neice. Then I would like to thank all the fire departments that were involved and everyone else that lent a helping hand. To all the residents I am sorry for your loss and I am glad you are all okay. "

I hope wrote on Aug 28, 2007 6:11 PM:

" they all had renters insurance. It is so cheap on an annual basis I would assume that they did. "

I just want to know wrote on Aug 28, 2007 5:31 PM:

" will the Bloomington Fire Ladder Truck see more action in the county than their paramedic chase vehicles.........what vehicles you say.......they onese they said would gladly respond to the county to assist......oh those. "

long time resident. wrote on Aug 28, 2007 4:48 PM:

" Where can a person take things to help the families? We lost our home and a cat to fire 30 years ago and the tremendous outpouring of help from the people of Lexington turned it into one of the most amazing experiences of our lives. I'd be willing to bet there are still a lot of people in Lexington who want to do the same for these families. "

Eric Bailey wrote on Aug 28, 2007 4:32 PM:

" Hi I lived in the apartments.I am very sorry for everybodys loss I hope we all can pull to gether and help each other in this time of need. To Josh@Mike I wish you two the best with the fireside. I everbody exspecialy everybody that lived in the apartments. God bless you all!!!!! "

chris murray wrote on Aug 28, 2007 3:10 PM:

" Hi i am family of people who lived in there and it is sad very sad. Hey um To Wondering i have something yo say to u for get that stupid damn place all that matters is that everybody is ok would u like it if u lived in there and some one said who cares about the people who sleeped in there just make shere the place is ok but forget that i just want to say im sorry for everybody because its a said thing i was there till 4:00am i saw all of it but after all im just happy everybody is ok and for get about the fireside inn "

LOST AND THEN JUST DAMAGED wrote on Aug 28, 2007 2:48 PM:

" I think everyone needs to remember that there is a big diffrence between the two. Yea having damaged property is ashame but what about the families that lost every thing there? how many families were there? and is some one helping them? or is everyone just worried about #1. Is the fireside going to help those who did lose every thing? I'd like to know so some of use cane help those families!!!!!! "

Lexington Graduate wrote on Aug 28, 2007 1:41 PM:

" People - why all the comments referring to the building, It was home to those that lived there. Let's care about the people involved in this fire. My heart goes out to those that were living in that building and have losts all their belongings. How fortunate we are that we were not involved in this fire. We still have our lives and belongings. Shame on you for the unnecessary comments and little concern for the residents involved. I'm very sorry that the lady lost her cat. Sometimes the little things we have in life that are so precious to us are gone in a flash just like a human life. "

To: "yummy" - I think wrote on Aug 28, 2007 12:58 PM:

" someone needs to call the fire department for YOU! I didn't even notice the shirtless man until I read your comment. I doubt that he would be interested since he probably had a lot of damage to his living quarters. As for the fire - Thank God no one was injured. I am very, very sorry to hear of the resident's cat and send my condolences to that resident. I lost my cat in May, which I had for 10 years; our pets are our family members and their loss HURTS!! "

My Sympathies wrote on Aug 28, 2007 12:55 PM:

" I would first like to offer my sympathies to the families that have been affected by this sad event. I am sorry that you have lost places to sleep, your belongings, a cat, and a since of security. I am also sorry that while you have suffered these losses, people have found it more important to blog about whether this should be considered a historic building and whether Colfax was there to put out the fire. It is sad that this world has lost its compassion for other people and are consumed by less important things. My thoughts and prayers are with you during this time. Being from Lexington myself, I hope that the town continues to offer their assistance to you. "

Tammy wrote on Aug 28, 2007 12:29 PM:

" Historical refers to whatever existed in the past, whether regarded as important or not: a minor historical character. Historical also refers to anything concerned with history or the study of the past: a historical novel; historical discoveries. Webster "

yeah, but wrote on Aug 28, 2007 12:11 PM:

" Just being old doesn't make it historic. "

Ahhh... wrote on Aug 28, 2007 12:11 PM:

" The poor kitty. "

Where was... wrote on Aug 28, 2007 11:44 AM:

" Colfax? "

Ironic wrote on Aug 28, 2007 10:35 AM:

" The FIREside Inn. "

To Wondering wrote on Aug 28, 2007 10:01 AM:

" To be historic, a building has to be atleast 100 years old - doesn't matter who slept there. "

melissa bailey wrote on Aug 28, 2007 9:57 AM:

" my husband and i were living in the apartment that had the most damage. i too would like to thank the firemen and the red cross and the church that opened thier doors to all of us last night. to all the other residents eric and i are very sorry we wish we could have done more to save everyone and thier belongings. as to our direct neighbors we enjoyed living in the same building with you all and we wish you the best. god bless all involved "

Sorry wrote on Aug 28, 2007 9:27 AM:

" My sympathy to all involved. Very sorry to the person who lost the cat. I know that pets are as loved as family members. thoughts and prayers. "

yummy wrote on Aug 28, 2007 8:36 AM:

" The shirtless guy in the picture above, is hot!! What is his name? Does he need a place to stay? Does anyone know what started the fire and if the Fireside Inn was damaged? "

residents wrote on Aug 28, 2007 8:11 AM:

" I hope everyone is ok. Does anyone know if the Fireside was damaged as a result of this fire? "

wondering wrote on Aug 28, 2007 7:58 AM:

" Why was it an "historic building"? Old doesn't necessarily make it historic. Did Lincoln sleep there? "

Apartment Resident wrote on Aug 28, 2007 6:07 AM:

" I was a resident of one of the units affected by the fire. First and foremost, I wanted to say thank you to all the fire departments involved. Their response was swift and effective at containing most of the fire damage to the initial apartment. My apartment was directly across the hall. Thanks to my neighbor, my daughter and I got out. Thank you too to the members of the Red Cross and the Church who were there to offer support, food, coffee, etc..I also want to thank my landlord, Josh and Lindsay for being there and offering their support as well. We cant get back in for awhile to see all the damage, but we are hopeful that what we had can be salvaged. The most important thing is that everyone got out. My neighbor did lose her cat and to that I want to offer my condolences. Animals are part of people's family too. "
Add your own comments

Please read the rules before posting comments.

You must be logged in to leave comments.
If you don't have a member ID, please register.

*Member ID:
*Password:
Remember login?
(requires cookies)
  Forgot Your Password?
 
Top of Page | Home | News | Sports | Free Time | Life | Money | Nation/World | Opinion | Blogs/Columns | Archives | Site Map | RSS
Weather | Calendar | Obituaries | Classifieds | Jobs | Autos | Homes | Rentals | Coupons
Lee Enterprises Customer Service | 301 W. Washington St., PO Box 2907, Bloomington, IL 61701-2907 | Ph. 309-829-9000 | 800-747-7323
Copyright © 2009, Pantagraph Publishing Co. and Lee Enterprises. All rights reserved. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy