UPDATE @ 10:05 p.m.: One person suffered burns to his arms and face in a house fire that could be connected to the ignition of fireworks that blew plaster off a wall, Springfield fire Battalion Chief Jeremy Linn said.
The cause is under investigation, Linn said, noting that crews took reports of fireworks being set off in the area of the duplex at 1027-1029 Maiden Lane.
"We're looking at anything at this point," he said in trying to determine the cause of the fire and damage. "I need to talk to the victim."
Linn said the victim appeared to have suffered first- and second-degree burns to his upper extremities. He was asked to wait for a medic unit to arrive, but was taken to a hospital by private vehicle. His condition was not known.
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Crews dispatched to the duplex found heavy fire on the exterior of 1029 Maiden spreading to the inside, the battalion chief said. Heavy damage was done to the 1029 side, displacing a woman, a 1-year-old girl and two relatives.
One of the two residents next door at 1027 Maiden reported hearing a loud "boom" that blew out one of the walls, Linn said. That side sustained smoke and plaster damage caused by what the chief described as a "concussion force." Both of those residents have been displaced as well.
The Red Cross was called for all of them, Linn said.
It was too early to estimate the dollar loss to the structure and contents, he said.
INITIAL REPORT
At least one person is reported to have been injured in a house fire in the 1000 block of Maiden Lane in Springfield.
The fire was dispatched about 8:20 p.m. on reports of heavy smoke and flame on the first floor of a two-story home.
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One person is said to have been taken to a hospital, by private conveyance, suffering from smoke inhalation.
We have a crew headed to Springfield and we'll update this developing report.
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