Fire-damaged Du Quoin home is a total loss

An electrical fire in the wall of an upstairs room is being blamed for a fire that destroyed a cottage-like home owned by the Roger Harrison family at 303 1/2 South Division Street who live next door.

The home was occupied by Harrison's stepson Kent Stacey, son Dillan and a small child. A girlfriend was working and not in the home at the time of the fire call at 5:52 a.m. Saturday.

Firemen say the fire could have been smoldering for hours before it was noticed by Stacey's son, who went downstairs to reset a tripped circuit breaker. The breaker kept tripping as smoke started coming from the wall.

The close proximity to the Harrison home warranted a mutual aid call which summoned firefighters from Tamaroa, Dowell, Pinckneyville, Benton and the Pinckneyville Ambulance Service.

Firefighters bypassed a hydrant with low water pressure in front of the Harrison home to tap into a better hydrant a block away.

Fire heavily damaged the upstairs, but water damage from firefighting efforts makes the home a total loss and Harrison said it will be torn down. Harrison was upbeat saying, "It will make more room for parking when my kids come to visit."