No one hurt in 'suspicious' mobile home fire

A Pontiac police officer checked two vehicles driving north from a trailer park on Old Airport Road in Pontiac on Thursday morning. The officer told a member of the Pantagraph that "an investigation was taking place." (Pantagraph/STEVE SMEDLEY)

Friday, August 31, 2007 9:26 AM CDT

By Greg Cima
gcima@pantagraph.com

PONTIAC — Nobody was injured in a suspicious fire in a mobile home bedroom Thursday morning in Pontiac.

A neighbor heard a smoke alarm sound and then saw smoke pour from the structure before reporting the fire about 9:15 a.m. at 37 Sterling Estates, said Fire Chief Dennis McDugle.

Nobody was home at the time of the fire, he said.

The mobile home owner, Larry Walker, was out of town; his brother, who also lives there, was at work, firefighters said.

Fire trucks left the scene by 10:15 a.m., and onlookers initially were kept at a distance.

McDugle said the fire was contained to one bedroom.

The fire caused a moderate amount of damage to the bedroom, the chief said, and there was smoke damage throughout the rest of the home.

“The cause of the fire is deemed as suspicious at this time,” McDugle said.

Officials with the Office of the State Fire Marshal, and the Pontiac fire and police departments are investigating the fire, McDugle said.

The mobile home is about a half mile south of Illinois State Police District 6 headquarters, west of Old Airport Road.