Another view of the Blankenship Building fire, Marion
MARION, Ill.—The cause of last night’s fire that destroyed a downtown building in Marion is currently under investigation, but authorities are putting forth some suggestions in the wake of it.
According to fire officials on the scene, the fire that consumed the interior of the old Blankenship Auto Parts Building at 300 West Main in downtown Marion may have been what’s termed a “hobo fire.”
Back of the Blankenship Building, downtown Marion
This would be when a vagrant or homeless person takes shelter in a building and builds a small fire to keep warm, and the blaze spreads, according to fire officials present at the scene questioned by Disclosure‘s correspondent. Despite that assessment, however, Marion fire chief Jerry Odom has publicly declared that the origin of the fire will “remain undetermined” and that the building will be razed today, since it was completely gutted in the blaze.
Firefighters worked into the morning hours to put down the blaze, which consumed the interior of the Blankenship Building at 300 West Main
The building was not an active business but was being used to house props for Artstart, a Marion summer arts program for children. While we’ve not confirmed the actual owner of the building yet, our Marion sources are advising that it might be owned by a woman by the name of Aikeman, who happens to be a relative of some sort to Marion mayor Bob Butler.
First response to the fire came by way of Marion FD at 7:36 p.m. last night (Saturday, November 8); this was followed by response from Herrin, Lake of Egypt, Williamson County Fire Protection District, Carterville and Goreville.