SALEM Firemen battle blaze at plant

The building dates to the 1890s.
SALEM -- About 40 firefighters from six departments battled a blaze that destroyed a three-story section of the former Salem China plant at 1000 S. Broadway.
A Perry Township firefighter suffered an ankle injury at the fire, which broke out shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday. Firefighters were still on the scene this morning.
The cause of the blaze has yet to be determined, but it doesn't appear to be suspicious, officials said.
Condemned
The section of the 1890s building that burned had been vacant and condemned for years, said Fire Capt. Tom Eastek.
The whole building is owned by the Pidgeon family of Salem, which owns Church Budget Envelope.
The company had some printing machines in a part of the building that's adjacent to the section that burned. Workers for the company also use that part of the brick and timber building.
Church Budget's main operations are in a different building on South Ellsworth Avenue.
Eastek estimated combined damage to the active part of the building and its contents at $50,000 to $60,000.
The burned section of the building was engulfed in flames as firefighters arrived, with flames coming through its roof and windows, Eastek said.
Because there was only one hydrant in the area, water supply was limited, and firefighters were forced to lay additional hose to two other hydrants to get sufficient volume, he said.
Salem and Perry Township firefighters were assisted by colleagues from Green Township, Damascus and Beloit. Fire investigators were to probe the scene later today.