Fire in downtown Lincoln causes area to be filled with smoke

Downtown Lincoln was filled with heavy smoke late Monday night after a two alarm fire was reported downtown. According to Lincoln Fire Chief Bob Dunovsky a call came at 10:34 p.m. from a resident of 112 N. Chicago St., saying he was relaxing in bed and then heard a sound.

"He went into the other room and saw fire and smoke and called for help," Dunovsky said.

Property tax records show that R. Michael Jeisy owns the property and was the one who alerted firefighters to the unfolding event.

"I was laying in bed and heard a weird noise, something that sounded like hail hitting the roof. I went into the hallway and saw flames and decided I needed to get out. I grabbed my keys and got in my truck and called 911," Jeisy said.

Dunovsky said fire inspectors are currently investigating the blaze. He expects to see a report by Monday.

The downtown residence is surrounded by the Logan County Genealogical & Historical Society to the north, a vacant building to the south and State Bank of Lincoln on the corner of Chicago and Broadway.

"The building that once housed Joe's Pizza was just a shell inside but the bank had some smoke damage that we had to clear out," Dunovsky said.

Diane Lanier, executive vice president and chief retail officer at State Bank of Lincoln, said the nearby fire did have an effect on the downtown location.

“We did sustain smoke damage in the Broadway building that will require cleanup. It’s expected the branch will be closed through Saturday, October 30 so customers are encouraged to visit our Woodlawn or Sangamon branches. We will post updates on social media as we learn more,” wrote Lanier in an email.

When asked if flames could be seen from the street, Dunovsky shook his head no.

"There was a thick wall of smoke that if you went around to the back you had to get underneath the smoke wall to see the flames inside. Our guys that were working the fire from above could see it, too, but not from ground level," Dunovsky said.

The fire required the help of Atlanta, Mount Pulaski, Middletown, Lincoln Rural and Latham Fire Departments.

Dunovsky said if he were to speculate he would say the fire was due to a mechanical problem. However, he said he will wait to see the fire report.

Jeisy said he has contacted his insurance carrier and already has a claim number. He is currently at Super 8 and waiting for additional details on the fire.

When asked what advice he would give to others he was brief.

"Have an evacuation plan and working smoke detectors."