Watch now: Sunday fire destroys home in historic Decatur | public safety

DECATUR – Decatur firefighters responded to a major structure fire early Sunday evening in what neighbors described as an abandoned home in the 200 block of North Monroe Street.

Smoke and flames could be seen pouring from the roof of the two-story house near the historic part of town that includes Governor Oglesby’s mansion.

“This whole area around here and William Street has nice houses on it,” said Paul Depeugh, who stood with his wife, Edna, watching firefighters work.

His wife said he was sad to see so many great houses from Decatur’s past fall to ruin and then burn.

“Yeah, it breaks my heart to see this house destroyed,” she added, as the jets of water from the fire hoses shot through the roof, chasing patches of still-scorching shingles.

The Decatur Fire Department had two ladder trucks working at the scene and numerous other vehicles as they battled to control the flames and prevent any spread to nearby homes in the close quarters.

Firefighters were unavailable to provide further details on Sunday evening, and this story will be updated when more information becomes known.