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Firefighters are used to going out on calls at all times of the day. Some calls are routine. Others are not.
The explosion that rocked the 400 block of South 15th Street in Murphysboro on Saturday evening was anything but routine. However, when firefighters arrived to the scene they assessed the situation just like they do on any other call.
"That's pretty much what you do,'' said Murphysboro Fire Chief Steve Swafford. "Sometimes people try to relay it to you, but it's not always exactly like that when you get there."
Swafford said that when firefighters arrived to the scene of the blast they immediately began their work.
"When you get there you're trying to get any information you can from bystanders,'' Swafford said. "That helps you to try and determine your approach and whether you need to go in and try to make a rescue, or just go ahead and set up to extinguish the fire."
Fortunately, all three residences that were destroyed by the explosion and ensuing fires were unoccupied. But that didn't mean it would make for an easy night of work.
Swafford said that firefighters, who arrived at the scene at about 6 p.m., remained there until about 3 a.m. on Sunday morning. They left an engine at the scene, just in case there was a flare up, then returned to the scene later in the day on Sunday to finish their work.
There was plenty of help on hand, as fire departments from Carbondale, Gorham, Murphysboro-Pomona-Somerset, Ava, Carterville, Herrin, Carbondale Township, DeSoto, and Williamson County arrived to assist the Murphysboro Fire Department.
"We've got a low water supply back there where the fires were,'' Swafford said. "We needed some departments to bring in some tankers so we could supply another engine to extinguish the fire.
"Those other departments were also personnel backup. When you work 30 minutes in that kind of heat you need to rotate out. There was probably 30-40 firefighters at the scene."
The cause of the explosion is thought to be a natural gas leak. Swafford said that residents should call the fire department any time they smell gas.
"Any time you smell any kind of gas just give us a call and we'll come and check it out,'' Swafford said. "If you're just walking around a neighborhood and smell it, call us."
Firefighters are used to going out on calls at all times of the day. Some calls are routine. Others are not.
The explosion that rocked the 400 block of South 15th Street in Murphysboro on Saturday evening was anything but routine. However, when firefighters arrived to the scene they assessed the situation just like they do on any other call.
"That's pretty much what you do,'' said Murphysboro Fire Chief Steve Swafford. "Sometimes people try to relay it to you, but it's not always exactly like that when you get there."
Swafford said that when firefighters arrived to the scene of the blast they immediately began their work.
"When you get there you're trying to get any information you can from bystanders,'' Swafford said. "That helps you to try and determine your approach and whether you need to go in and try to make a rescue, or just go ahead and set up to extinguish the fire."
Fortunately, all three residences that were destroyed by the explosion and ensuing fires were unoccupied. But that didn't mean it would make for an easy night of work.
Swafford said that firefighters, who arrived at the scene at about 6 p.m., remained there until about 3 a.m. on Sunday morning. They left an engine at the scene, just in case there was a flare up, then returned to the scene later in the day on Sunday to finish their work.
There was plenty of help on hand, as fire departments from Carbondale, Gorham, Murphysboro-Pomona-Somerset, Ava, Carterville, Herrin, Carbondale Township, DeSoto, and Williamson County arrived to assist the Murphysboro Fire Department.
"We've got a low water supply back there where the fires were,'' Swafford said. "We needed some departments to bring in some tankers so we could supply another engine to extinguish the fire.
"Those other departments were also personnel backup. When you work 30 minutes in that kind of heat you need to rotate out. There was probably 30-40 firefighters at the scene."
The cause of the explosion is thought to be a natural gas leak. Swafford said that residents should call the fire department any time they smell gas.
"Any time you smell any kind of gas just give us a call and we'll come and check it out,'' Swafford said. "If you're just walking around a neighborhood and smell it, call us."
