Published: September 12, 2008 12:56 pm         

Fire injures homeowner

WHEELER — A 79-year-old Wheeler man was injured in a fire that enveloped his home Thursday afternoon.

The Dieterich Fire Department responded to a fire at the home of Jerry Jones at 2947 E. Center St. in Wheeler around 3:20 p.m.

“I saw smoke when I came out of Dieterich, so I called for reinforcements. When you see smoke like that, you call for reinforcements right away. You don’t mess around,” Dieterich Assistant Fire Chief Justin Gephart said from the scene of the fire.

“When we arrived on scene, the garage structure was fully engulfed, and the porch and roof had flames coming out of it. We had three trucks and five guys when we arrived, so we didn’t even have enough to do what needed to be done,” he said.

Dieterich was assisted by fire departments from Teutopolis, Effingham, Montrose, Wade Township and Watson. Shumway and Sigel fire departments were on standby, and Crooked Creek Fire Department covered Dieterich’s station.

Many neighbors and family members of Jones could feel the heat of the fire as they stood in the park across the street from Jones’ home and watched more than 30 firefighters battle the inferno. Several children and even a few adults climbed to the top of the slides to get a better look.

Neighbor Glen Kinkelaar said the fire started in the home’s three-car garage when the owner was pouring gas into his lawn mower.

“The flames ignited the pilot light in the hot water heater in the garage. Jerry got burned on his arm and singed on his hands,” he said.

Jones was taken by ambulance to St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham around 3:40 p.m. His condition is unknown because the hospital no longer releases patient information.

Kinkelaar said Jones lives alone. No one else was injured in the fire.

“He’s lucky to be alive. He lost his cars and a brand new four-wheeler, but those can be replaced,” Kinkelaar said.

The home’s garage burned to the ground. Part of the home’s west exterior frame remained standing, though most of the interior was destroyed.

A small storage building and trampoline also were damaged by the fire, though an American flag and the flag pole standing directly in front of the home remained remarkably unscathed.

As the fire was dying down around 4:30 p.m., Gephart said the firefighters were putting water on a few leftover hot spots and waiting for the fire marshal to come to the scene to conduct an investigation.

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