EFFINGHAM, Ill. (WCIA) — When a massive fire broke out at a recycling plant in Madison last week, a central Illinois fire department was called to assist.
The alarm went off at the Effingham Fire Department at 6 p.m. on Thursday, sending a ladder truck with four firefighters inside on a 90-minute drive to Madison. They were one of the last crews to arrive at the scene, but there was still plenty they could do to help battle the inferno.
“When they got there, they helped assist crews with cleaning,” said Effingham Fire Chief Brant Yochum. “I think the crews were already on the scene for 30-plus hours by the time we got the call. So we assisted with some hot spots, no crews went inside the structure at all, but they helped with some extinguishment of the exterior.”
The Effingham firefighters returned to their station at 6:30 the next morning.