ALTON - The Alton Fire Department is known for its quick response to serious fire scenes. Around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, the AFD responded to the 3800 block of Aberdeen and because of the quick response, was able to “hit” the fire quickly, Fire Chief Jesse Jemison said.
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“They got in the basement where the fire started, and the adults were not in the home when they got there,” the chief explained. “One of the captains lives almost directly across the street from there and he understood the house and we got a good hit on the fire and extinguished it quickly.”
The chief said he was proud of his firefighters for the quick response and effort to save another Alton home.
“Without the professional personnel, training, and the equipment, there are a lot of homes that likely would see a lot of homes burned down to the basement level,” he said.
The chief said the fire began in the basement and he said one of the residents' quick response to the pets and calling 911 was a difference maker in this particular blaze being extinguished rapidly.
The chief commended two of those at the house at the time of the fire for saving multiple pets.
“One made sure two dogs were taken out immediately when they saw smoke, and I also saw a woman with three or four kittens in her hand,” he said.
The chief added that all the Alton firefighters know the value of pets to a family and always work to rescue them with an equal amount of emphasis.
“I had a dog for 11 years and I know that people’s pets are part of the family,” he said. “We are always thankful when they can be rescued from a fire scene.”
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