Monticello Fire Chief offers thanks

MONTICELLO, Ind. (WLFI) - Many groups and individuals responded to recent fire at the Hall's Mall warehouse in Monticello and rendered aid.

Monticello Fire Chief Shane Swaim has written a public letter offering his thanks to everyone who aided his department in containing the fire and limiting its impact. That letter follows:

Monticello Fire Department was called at 1852 hours for report of a structure fire at 222 E. Marion St. in Monticello. The building is known as Hall’s Mall which operates as a pallet manufacturing facility. The structure is a 3 story brick building aprox 200 x 400. It is a very old structure which is located along the water front.

Firefighters arrived to find fire showing through the roof of the structure. Immediate calls for assistance went out to multiple departments. Due to the water issues later in the incident, mutual aid calls went out again to more departments.

The size and magnitude of this incident affected more than just the Fire Department. The Monticello Police Department also called for assistance from surrounding agencies all of which were happy to help in this time of need for our community.

All of the departments that I am aware of that responded to our call for assistance are:
White County

• Monticello Police Department
• Monon Fire Department
• Monon Police Department
• Buffalo Fire Department
• Reynolds Fire Department
• Idaville Fire Department
• Wolcott Fire Department
• Chalmers Fire Department
• Brookston Fire Department
• White County Sherriff’s Department
• White County Emergency Management

Cass County

• Logansport Fire Department
• Georgetown Fire Department

Carroll County

• Delphi Fire Department
• Flora Fire Department
• Camden Fire Department

Tippecanoe County

• Lafayette Fire Department
• Battleground Fire Department
• Otterbein Fire Department
• Wabash Fire Department
• Purdue Fire Department
• Tippecanoe County Emergency Ambulance Service
• Tippecanoe County Emergency Management

Newton County

• Remington Fire Department

Jasper County

• Rennselaer Fire Department
• K.A.T.S. Ambulance Service

Pulaski County

• Francisville Fire Department

Indiana State Police
Red Cross
REMC
NIPSCO

Multiple restaurants, stores, organizations, and people brought food and drinks to the crews keeping them warm and fed throughout whole incident. I hope that our records are accurate on everyone who gave or offered assistance during this time and no one was overlooked.

In all about 157 firefighters were working on the scene operating 12 engines, 4 aerial devices and 15 tankers. The City’s water plant put out about 4 million gallons of water, most of which was dumping into the structure after their main feed line was broken off. Our Aerial device alone flowed 1.3 million gallons of water through its elevated waterway. The tanker shuttling from Bluewater Beach resulted in 152 round trips and 381,200 gallons of water.

The fire was also contained to the original fire building, saving multiple homes that were in close proximity. Other ambulance services voluntarily came to assume the primary emergency ambulance coverage for the area while we were on scene from the beginning up until Thursday evening. Also, fire coverage was still in place from a fresh crew of firemen for any other call that may have come in.

The professionalism of everyone involved speaks for itself through these results. It is a humbling position to be in to ask your neighbors for help. I cannot express enough my gratitude to all of these departments that came to aid us in our time of need. Simply put thank you.

Shane Swaim
Chief, Monticello Fire Department