Archives Article 5

Danville Fire Fighters Local 429 were preparing for a meeting with the Danville City Council to explain why the Mayor's proposed budget cuts of 9 fire fighters and a closing of a station would reduce manning to an unsafe level. The preparation was interrupted by a downtown fire. The meeting had to be rescheduled. The 12 man minimum manning established in the contract allowed the Danville Fire Department to (1) evacuate the building, (2) operate a ladder company to safely ventilate the building, (3) extinguish the fire, and (4) protect the exposures and save downtown Danville. The Mayor used "increase pension costs" as the reason for the cuts. Hopefully the heroic work of the Danville Fire Fighters will now convince the council that they can not reduce the minimum response below 12.

Fire breaks out in downtown Danville building

DANVILLE – Firefighters were hosing down adjacent buildings trying to prevent the spread of a fire at one downtown Danville building.

They planned to cut the power to some downtown Danville properties as the building on North Vermilion Street burned late this morning. The Vermilion County Courthouse was to be closed this afternoon because of the fire.

Firefighters were called to Danville Book World, 107 N. Vermilion St., at 10:17 today and found heavy smoke pouring from the building.

"To our knowledge no one was in the building," said Public Safety Director Larry Thomason.

Businesses on either side of the building were evacuated, Thomason said.

Danville Book World sells comic books, used paperbacks, posters, action figures and game supplies as well as other items. The business moved to Vermilion Street in September from its former location on North Bowman Avenue near Holiday Hills.

Danville firefighters pump water into the back side of the Danville Book World at 107 N. Vermilion St., on Wednesday morning. By Elizabeth Nicol