Staunton, IL (KSDK) - Firefighters in Staunton, Illinois were called back to a scene just a few hours after they knocked down a blaze in the 500 block of 2nd Street.
The fire rekindled around 5 a.m. Thursday just as NewsChannel 5's Ryan Dean was preparing to go live. Dean awoke the homeowner who escaped safely. Firefighters quickly doused the fire.
Crews originally responded to a call for a fire near the intersection of 2nd Street and Madison around midnight. When they arrived, they found two garages and another building fully involved.
Authorities say the homeowner collects Corvettes and also repairs cars. The buildings contained acetylene, gasoline and other accelerants. The fire destroyed seven vehicles and three wave runners. It also damaged three trailers and a Harley.
The fire chief says an open gas line inside one of the garages fed the fire.
Firefighters had trouble with water pressure at the hydrants, so they used tender trucks to shuttle water to the scene. Several surrounding departments brought their tenders in to help with the water supply.
Three nearby homes suffered exterior damage from the extreme heat of the blaze.
KSDK