Fire erupts as power restored in Coal Valley home

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By Thomas Geyer | Friday, July 25, 2008 5:04 AM CDT | () comments

Firefighters are tackling a blaze at 6106 E. 6th St., Coal Valley. No one has been injured. (Thomas Geyer/QUAD-CITY TIMES) Buy this Photo

Firefighters from at least seven Illinois Quad-City fire departments were called in to fight a blaze at a Coal Valley house Thursday that neighbors said they believed was caused when power was restored to the area.

The fire broke out in the single-family home about 7:30 p.m. at 2106 E. 6th St. The home, which has an attached apartment, is owned by Scott Parsons.

Parsons declined to comment on what may have caused the fire.

Dave Kutscher, of Indiana, who is staying with in-laws nearby, said he did not hear any type of explosion, but saw smoke and flames coming out of the home’s basement.

“It started soon after the power came back on,” Kutscher said. “Everybody seems to think it was a power surge.”

The Illinois State Fire Marshal was called in to investigate. There was no official cause issued Thursday and no estimate of damage available.

Neighbors said that Parsons had a lot of documents and photographs related to Coal Valley’s history in the basement and expressed concern that it was all burned up.

Firefighters from Coal Valley, Rock Island Arsenal, Moline, Orion, Colona, Black Hawk Fire District and Coyne Center battled the blaze.

Flames shot out of the basement at one point, but were beaten back by firefighters. Flames then showed in the home’s living area and then worked their way through the roof before firefighters beat them back down.

Large, gray clouds of smoke billowed from the house.

Firefighters continued to investigate the scene more than four hours after the fire broke out.

No one was reported injured. It was not known Thursday night how many people live in the house or the apartment.

Thomas Geyer can be contacted at (563) 383-2328 or tgeyer@qctimes.com.

Earlier story:

(POSTED AT 9 P.M., UPDATED 11:05 P.M.) As of 11 p.m., firefighters from multiple Illinois Quad-City departments are fighting a large fire at 2106 E. 6th St. Coal Valley, Ill.

The first report said that when the electricity came back on, it sparked a fire in a basement. Firefighters will investigate to see if that is what happened.

No one is reported injured.

Fire started around 7:30 p.m. this evening.