HAMILTON, ILL. -- One year has passed since the tragic fire that took the life of a five-month-old infant and destroyed a half city block in Hamilton. The rubble has since been cleared from the scene of the fire.
Five-month-old Jillian Lorigan lost her life in a structure fire on the 900 block of Broadway in downtown Hamilton. Police Chief Robb Bell said this tragedy was believed to be an electrical fire.
"We just want to move on with our lives. The city has done well with getting the cleanup done along with one of the business owners," Bell said.
Residents around the area remember the exact moment they found out about the fire. Lacy Helenthal owns Lacy's Beauty Salon next door to where the fire occurred. She said she remembers receiving a call from her husband to find out.
"I started to king of freak out a little bit. And as I was knowing, the fire trucks were pulling up in the back. All I could see was the front was on fire, so I came back in, rinsed my color out, then I moved my car and just started to help out," Helenthal said.
Bell says this day showed signs of the community of Hamilton coming together. 18 people were rescued from the fire.
"We remember the baby, but we also got to remember the lives that the city did save. It's a tragic loss and I hope we never have to go through that again in the city of Hamilton," Bell said.
There is currently no plan on whether they will rebuild on the land where the fire took place.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKHQA