House Fire In Mattoon Displaces Residents; Claims Lives Of Three Cats

An early morning house fire in Mattoon displaced two residents and claimed the lives of three cats on Monday.

The Mattoon Fire Department was dispatched to 7978 Old State Road at around 4:10 a.m. for a reported structure fire with possible entrapment. Crews arrived within minutes to find a single-story home with heavy smoke coming from the front of the structure.

Fortunately, both occupants had already made it out before firefighters arrived on scene. Crews entered the home, located the fire in the basement, and were able to extinguish it quickly, reportedly getting the blaze under control in just about 10 minutes.

Three cats found inside the home did not survive the smoke. The home sustained significant smoke damage throughout, with the basement taking the heaviest hit from both fire and water damage. The American Red Cross has been contacted to assist the two displaced residents.

One occupant was evaluated at the scene by EMS. No injuries to firefighters were reported. A fire department investigator has begun a cause and origin investigation, and while the fire remains under investigation, it appears to be accidental.

All Mattoon Fire units cleared the scene by 6:15 a.m. The department was assisted by: Coles/Moultrie 911, Mattoon Police, Charleston Fire, Mitchell-Jerdan Ambulance, the Coles County Sheriff’s Department, Mattoon Public Works, Ameren, and the American Red Cross.