Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for September 17, 2007 MORE FIRES IN CAIRO

Woke up in the wee hours to three e-mails indicating different fires in Cairo on Sunday night/Monday morning...including Beyond the Bay.

News stories will be posted as they become available...

Two More Fires in Cairo

By: Heartland News

Updated 12:10am Monday:

Heartland News has learned that a second building is on fire in the Cairo area Sunday night. The second fire is in Future City, Illinois (just outside of Cairo) on Highway 51 at the "Beyond the Bay" bar and grill.

This marks the sixth fire in eight days in Cario and the second fire within 2 hours Sunday night.

Heartland News has a crew on the scene. Tune in to The Breakfast Show starting at 5am for the latest on this developing story.

See the story about the first Sunday night fire below.

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Original Story:

Heartland News has learned that a house is on fire in Cairo. The two story house is on 33rd Street and Park. The fire started around 9:45pm Sunday night.

Dispatchers have called in fire crews from Cairo, Mounds, Mounds City, Olmstead and Wickliffe.

This is a continuing story in Cairo. Saturday, Carly O'keefe reported on that there have been four fires in seven days. This is the fifth fire in eight days.

String of Cairo, IL House Fires

Two more fires in Cairo, Illinois Sunday night. The most recent fire was at the Beyond the Bay Bar and Grill on Sycamore street. Firefighters also responded to a building on fire on Park Avenue, just a few blocks away from the other fires. No one was hurt. Right now, no word on if officials consider the latest fires linked to the others.

"You don't know whose house is going be next," says a concerned Cairo neighbor, Marva Purchase.

In one week, four apparent arsons in one Southern Illinois neighborhood. The latest fire was set on Friday on the corner of 12th Street and Popular. Three other homes were torched nearby on Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday. The string of house fires is stirring talk among neighbors. "Now it makes you a little leary about even going to the grocery store, because you don't know if you leave and come back, if you going find your house in flames or not," says Purchase.

Fortunately, no one lives at the home, caught on home video during the Friday fire. But the Wednesday morning house fire on the 200 block of 12th street, forced a family out. They are staying with family.

"I'm really hoping that they do find the person that is doing it so they can put an end to it. You know because someone ends up getting hurt," continues Purchase.

While fire crews put the flames out a week ago Saturday, someone burglarized a fire fighters home, taking a fire radio. We're told the burglar used the radio to threaten, and harass-- saying more homes would catch fire.

"Whoever you are please stop setting the fires and put your own family in the place of the people who may end up loosing their lives in some senseless fire," Purchase finally said.

If you know anything about the string of house fires, call the Cairo Police Department at 618-734-2131.

7 Fires in 8 Days

By: Wes Wallace

CAIRO, Ill. - City leaders and residents take action after five houses, two of them occupied, a local business and a car all burned in the last eight days.

Investigators are not sure if the fires are related. The fires are all across the town.

Cairo citizens say it doesn't matter whether a building is occupied or not. If it burns down, it's a loss of part of Cairo's past, present, and future.

"It's scary, but it's scary for several reasons," said Jo Anne Vanderwerf, a Cairo resident.

The fear of yet another house fire puts her on edge.

"It's just a matter of time and someone's going to get hurt. We have the firefighters putting their lives on the line fighting these fires more than they should have to fight," said Vanderwerf.

All day Monday investigators looked over the latest residential fire in Cairo as well as a business fire. But they've yet to figure out what started the fires or even if they're connected. On top of that, they've got five other suspicious fires to look at.

"The fact is it did happen. So what are we doing? We're beefing up security. Police is beefing up security. We just have to remain vigilant," said Cairo Mayor Judson Childs.

As officials search for answers, so does Jo Anne Vanderwerf. She was up all night on the look out.

"Basically driving around town and one of the things, wanted to keep an eye on the properties, but also to see who's out and about," said Vanderwerf.

In fact, Vanderwerf and her daughter joined together to do more than just sit back and watch what happens.

"We're offering a $1000 reward for information obviously leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is setting these fires," Vanderwerf said. "If it's one person that turns out or there's four different people involved in four different fires, then we'd do $1000 for each one."

It's an effort this Cairo resident hopes will catch on.