Two displaced, cat rescued after Mattoon apartment fire

MATTOON, Ill. (WCIA) — Two people are displaced after an apartment fire in Mattoon Tuesday morning.

It happened after 8:35 a.m. in a two-story commercial building near South 17th Street and Wabash Avenue. The Mattoon Fire Department arrived only minutes later. They said the first floor holds an antique store while the second floor holds four apartments — one of which had smoke leaking through a closed door.

Firefighters forced entry into the apartment and found fire in the living room. Some used hoses to attack the fire, while others searched the surrounding apartments. They said they were assisted by Coles/Moultrie 911, the Charleston Fire Department, the Mattoon Police Department, and Ameren at the scene.

The fire was extinguished in 10 minutes and did not spread outside the initial apartment, save for minor smoke damages in neighboring apartments and water damage that leaked directly down to the antique store.

A pet cat was also safely rescued from the fire apartment. Fire crews determined that all occupants and other pets had escaped the building.

The Mattoon Fire Department said the initial apartment has fire, smoke, and water damage, leaving it uninhabitable pending repairs. This leaves two people displaced. The American Red Cross is providing them assistance during this time.

All other residents were able to reenter their homes once it was deemed safe.

Fire crews cleared the scene at 11:15 a.m. but continue to investigate the cause of the fire. They clarified that no foul play is suspected.

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