Published: August 20, 2008 12:25 pm            

Elderly woman escapes fire in family home

ALTAMONT — A smoke detector may have saved the life of an 88-year-old rural Altamont woman whose house caught on fire Tuesday afternoon.

“She heard the smoke detector, saw the fire in a rear portion of the house and got out,” said Chief Jon Becker of the Altamont Fire Protection District. “She then went over to a neighbor’s and called 911.

“The smoke detector played a big role in her ability to escape,” the chief added. “The detector gave her enough advance warning so she knew there was a problem before it grew.”

Firefighters reached the Anita Klitzing residence at 13523 N 400th St. in rural Altamont at 4:10 p.m. Firefighters from St. Elmo, Tri-County and Shumway fire protection districts provided mutual aid, while firefighters from Edgewood Bi-County and Brownstown covered the Altamont station.

A neighbor, who did not wish to be identified, described Klitzing as a “peppy lady” who celebrated her 88th birthday last week. Klitzing lived alone in her home on a centennial farm. The Illinois Department of Agriculture can designate a farm a centennial farm once it has been owned by a straight or collateral line of descendants for at least 100 years.

According to the neighbor, Klitzing would not move from her family home. She wished to live her whole life in her family’s house because that’s what her parents, brother and sister did.

Becker said the fire began in a corner of the laundry room, but an exact cause may never be known.

“We couldn’t determine a specific object that started the fire,” he said, adding the fire appeared to be accidental. The state fire marshal was called to the scene as a matter of routine, but found nothing suspicious.

Becker said about 40 percent of the two-story farm house sustained damage, while the rest of the home sustained smoke, heat and water damage.

The American Red Cross offered services to Klitzing at the scene, Becker said. Firefighters cleared the scene at 6:45 p.m.

Three enterprising teenagers made their way to the site of the road block approximately one-quarter of a mile south of the fire. The boys followed the sounds of the firetrucks and road their bicycles five miles from Altamont out to the scene.

Colton Nuxoll, an eighth-grader from Altamont, said he and his friends saw 15 firetrucks and one ambulance go to the scene of the fire.

The boys also said they wished they could get a closer look at the fire, but no one was allowed near the scene, as the small country road was blocked off for emergency workers.

An Altamont police officer blocked off 400th Street starting south of the fire at 1300th Avenue and an Effingham County Sheriff’s deputy blocked off 400th Street north at 1400th Avenue.

The police officer at the intersection of 400th Street and 1300th Avenue said only emergency personnel were allowed to pass.

No smoke was visible from the road block at 5:10 p.m. Ameren CIPS trucks drove toward the fire at 5:15 p.m. and 5:51 p.m. A member of the Altamont Fire Department hauled a pickup truck full of additional water out to the firefighters at 5:25 p.m.

The boys passed the time by riding their bikes through a puddle filled with muddy water and having sword fights with corn stalks. They also tried coaxing information out of the police officer, but eventually gave up and left the scene at 5:35 p.m.

Angie Faller can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 131 or angie.faller@

effinghamdailynews.com.

Bill Grimes can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 131 or bill.grimes@effinghamdailynews.com.