A fire that engulfed a structure at 421 Sherman Street early Wednesday morning is believed to be incendiary, according to the Danville Fire Department. Firefighters were dispatched at approximately 2:24 a.m. after a third-party caller reported a large amount of smoke in the area.
Danville Police Department units were first on the scene and confirmed the structure was ablaze. Upon arrival, Engine 1 found the building fully involved in fire and initiated a defensive attack using a 2 1/2-inch hose line to protect nearby exposures. The structure’s significant setback from the street and overhead obstructions, including a downed power line, complicated the firefighting efforts. A second alarm was requested, and a fire investigator was called to the scene. Ameren Illinois retired all utilities to facilitate the safe demolition of the structure after suppression and investigation activities concluded. All on-duty fire suppression crews cleared the scene by 6:18 a.m., while investigators remained until 10:21 a.m.
