A fast-moving fire damaged a home on Normal’s east side Sunday evening, but officials say no one was hurt and the interior damage was relatively minor.
Fire crews were called around 7:37 p.m. to the 1800 block of Johnson Drive after multiple 911 callers reported heavy smoke and visible flames. Due to the volume of calls and confirmed reports, the response was quickly upgraded, bringing in off-duty Normal firefighters and a Rapid Intervention Team from the Bloomington Fire Department.
When firefighters arrived, they found flames tearing through the back of the home at 1825 Johnson Drive. The heat was so intense it started to melt the vinyl siding on the neighboring house to the west.
Crews got to work fast, pulling hose lines to knock down the flames and protect nearby properties. The fire was under control in about 35 minutes, officials said. Most of the fire damage was confined to the exterior of the house and an attached one-car garage. The neighboring home at 1823 Johnson also suffered some siding damage.
Everyone inside the house made it out safely, and no injuries were reported. A neighbor was checked for possible smoke inhalation but declined treatment or transport, according to fire officials.
The house is insured, but the residents will be displaced temporarily while utilities are inspected and safely restored. A damage estimate wasn’t immediately available.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the Normal Fire Department.
