Urbana Firefighters Successfully Contain Blaze at University of Illinois Residence Hall

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URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — On Friday, the Urbana Fire Department swiftly managed to extinguish a blaze at a University of Illinois residence hall, bringing it under control within approximately 20 minutes.

Shortly after 2:38 p.m. on October 24, Urbana firefighters, who were wrapping up a prior call, were alerted to a fire alarm at the Lincoln Avenue Residence Hall, located at 1005 S Lincoln Avenue. As they made their way to the location, METCAD and the University of Illinois Dispatch indicated that several fire alarms were activating in the building, suggesting a situation more serious than a standard alarm, according to Urbana Fire officials.

Urbana Engine 253 was the first to reach the scene and immediately entered the hall to investigate. The team quickly identified smoke on the second floor, along with active water flow and visible flames. Recognizing the severity, the shift commander upgraded the response to a working fire, ensuring additional support arrived promptly.

Firefighters acted swiftly, locating and extinguishing the fire while other teams conducted thorough searches to ensure no one remained inside. This well-coordinated response allowed them to bring the situation under control within 20 minutes of their arrival.

In total, roughly 20 Urbana firefighters responded to this call. The fire was contained to the area of origin, and no injuries were reported.

The Urbana Fire Department’s Investigation Team is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the fire, which remains unknown at this time.

Urbana Fire thanked METCAD and U of I Dispatch for their assistance during this incident. They also thanked U of I Housing, Facilities, Services, the University of Illinois Police Department and U of I Emergency Management for their support.