Fire Damages House Near Indian Car Wash

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[A 7:16 p.m. fire Monday destroyed the Jackie Homan home at 537 South Jefferson Street in Du Quoin. The house is a half-block east of the Indian Car Wash, Monroe is the side street. The occupant, Craig House, and his girlfriend were not home at the time. There were five juveniles in the house. One of them smelled smoke and got everyone out safely.

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Rader across the street where looking out their window and saw flames inside the home and called 911. Du Quoin Fire Department immediately responded with three fire trucks. Friends of the family suspect a gas leak near a furnace by a bedroom area as the possible cause. The fire remains under investigation.

There was no insurance on the property and the house is a total loss. Firemen entered through the front and extinguished everything there, then exited to make new entries on the north, south and through the roof.