DANVILLE, Ill. (Chambana Today) — A fast-moving fire at Churchill Towers triggered a major multi-agency rescue operation Sunday evening, with firefighters and police working together to save more than 30 residents trapped inside the high-rise.
Danville Fire Department units were dispatched around 6:40 p.m. on November 30 to the apartment building at 101 E. Seminary Street, where they arrived to find heavy smoke pouring from windows on the 4th and 5th floors. Crews quickly identified numerous residents at their windows who were unable to escape through hallways due to thick smoke.
Fire Chief Aaron Marcott said the conditions required immediate coordinated rescues. “Our firefighters and police officers moved fast and worked as a unified team to reach those residents,” he said. “The amount of smoke on those upper floors made self-evacuation impossible for many of them.”
A total of 32 residents were removed from the upper floors. Two individuals were rescued using the department’s aerial ladder, while others were brought down interior stairwells during simultaneous suppression and search efforts.
“Every minute counted,” Marcott added. “The coordinated response across agencies made all the difference in getting residents out safely.”
Medical Response and Displacement
Several ambulance services were on scene providing medical care and transportation. At least two victims remain hospitalized, though their conditions have not been released. Multiple residents were temporarily displaced due to fire and smoke conditions inside the building.
The Danville Fire Department expressed gratitude to the many agencies that assisted, including:
- Danville Police Department
- Danville Mass Transit
- Carle Ambulance
- Advanced Medical Transport (AMT)
- Tilton Ambulance
- Bismarck Ambulance
- Georgetown Ambulance
- 911 Communications Center
Cause Under Investigation
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the Office of the State Fire Marshal. No additional details have been released, but the Danville Fire Department said updates will be provided as information becomes available.
