Wednesday, Oct. 23

 

Kerosene analyzed in fire investigations

[OCT. 23, 2002]  Illinois Clark stations have temporarily stopped selling kerosene. Clark Retail Enterprises, Inc., an Oakbrook-based gasoline retailer, sent out an alert on Tuesday, Oct. 22, of a possible contamination at the Lincoln station. John Matthews, vice president of marketing and facilities for Clark, said, "Until we can test the product, we have stopped selling kerosene in all of our Illinois locations."

The retailer, which has 1,350 locations throughout the Midwest, voluntarily suspended kerosene sales at their 547 Illinois stations when they learned of two fire investigations. Kerosene heaters are believed to have been the cause of the fires, and in both instances the kerosene was purchased at the Lincoln Clark store.

Lincoln Rural firefighters responded back-to-back to two home fires Monday evening and early Tuesday.

First, Lincoln Rural assisted the New Holland Fire Department with a fire that began at 8:09 p.m. Monday at the Jessie Mosier residence. Mosier reported that the kerosene heater exploded as he was refueling it. He suffered burns on his hands and foot.

The house was a total loss.

The state fire marshal was called in to investigate. ESDA was contacted also.

Just barely back from New Holland and still cleaning their equipment, Lincoln Rural got a second call at 12:46 a.m. The fire at the Joe Coffman residence at 714 1700th St. was not nearly as intense as the New Holland fire. Coffman had put it out by the time firefighters arrived. They stayed to assess the cause, damages and watch for any restarts. Again, a kerosene heater was the apparent cause of the fire.

Chief Bob Thomas thought it suspicious having the two like incidents so close together. Assistant Rural Fire Chief Duane Ingram, who was on-site at the Coffman house, smelled the kerosene. He said it did not smell like it should.

 

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Thomas called Lincoln Fire Department investigator Jim Davis. Davis was later joined in the rural Lincoln investigation by the state fire marshal, who came over from the New Holland site when he finished.

The investigators are not suspicious of any foul play.

Testing of the Lincoln, Mount Pulaski and Mason City Clark station kerosenes began Tuesday morning. No results are available yet.

The concern is that there could be gasoline contaminating the kerosene. When gasoline and kerosene are mixed you have a highly explosive fuel comparable to a bomb. The gasoline provides a quick start and the kerosene continues a slow burn.

The Clark station at 548 Woodlawn Road in Lincoln has issued a recall on all kerosene purchases. Lincoln is the only location in question at this time. Customers are asked to please return the product to the store immediately. Your money will be refunded. The kerosene should NOT be used.

Matthews said, "Clark is very concerned about the safety of its customers and your neighborhood. We appreciate your assistance."

[Jan Youngquist]


Ground broken for largest interstate reconstruction project downstate

$400 million revamp of I-74 through Peoria will improve safety

[OCT. 23, 2002]  PEORIA — Gov. George Ryan joined federal, state and local officials Monday to officially begin the reconstruction of Interstate 74 through Peoria. The $400 million reconstruction project is the largest in Illinois history, outside of Chicago, and is being made possible through Illinois FIRST.

"Today we’re making history," Gov. Ryan said. "This $400 million project is one for the future. It’s for future public safety and future economic growth."

The groundbreaking ceremony was held at the Forrest Hill overpass, one of 44 bridges that will be reconstructed during the I-74 project. The overpass will be rebuilt to provide for four lanes of traffic and will be the required height and width to accommodate the new six lanes of I-74. The work is expected to be complete in June of 2003.

The reconstruction of 8.3 miles of I-74 will result in a re-engineered roadway from Sterling Avenue to Washington Street. The roadway was not originally built to be an interstate, and as a result the accident rate along the 8-mile stretch being reconstructed is 15 times greater than the current state average.

 

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"We’re going to totally gut this system and rebuild it from the ground up, re-engineering it, putting down new concrete, installing wider and safer interchanges and new bridges," Gov. Ryan said. "We’re making this road safer for everyone who drives on it, and we’ll make it easier for people who do business in Peoria."

When work is completed on the project in late 2006, the new I-74 will have wider and safer interchanges with the local road system, as well as numerous aesthetic and safety features, such as landscaping, lighting, fencing and an Intelligent Traffic System.

[Illinois Government News Network
press release]

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Check online for classes on
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