Kewanee Police and Fire departments responded to a 9-1-1 call about a fast moving fire at the former Kewanee Boiler office building on Saturday night. As of 6:45 pm, the fire continued to burn and black smoke rose in the air over the West side of town.
The fire started sometime after 6 pm. Angela Washburn said she was driving to her home on Roseview Avenue when she saw flames in the back part of the second floor. She pulled over and called the emergency number.
“It took off pretty quickly,” she said.
Washburn said another witness on the scene told her that three teens were seen fleeing the building and “laughing.”
Kewanee Police Officer Justin Reed confirmed that a witness reported seeing three teens leaving the area at the time the fire started.
The teens allegedly left the Boiler shop premises and made their way down to a house near Irving School, according to one witness.
***This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
