2nd Hickory Street House Needs Demolition: Fire Chief

JOLIET, IL—Two days after multiple houses caught fire on Joliet's Hickory Street, the city's fire chief tells Joliet Patch that the second structure will need to be demolished. Both of the houses in the 400 block of Hickory Street were heavily damaged by Saturday's blaze. One house was burned to the ground. The second structure is still standing.

On Monday morning, fire chief Greg Blaskey said that the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Firefighters learned that one of the houses had been undergoing a remodeling project, the chief indicated. As a result, fire investigators will need to conduct additional interviews to determine whether the remodeling work factored into the origin of the fire.

Joliet fire engines responded to the fires around 12:15 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, and firefighters remained on the scene extinguishing the blaze for five hours. The fire-damaged houses are right next door to the St. John's school building. The flames, however, did not spread to the school.

Related Joliet Patch coverage: Joliet Fire GoFundMe: 'A New Home For My Parents."