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Last updated on Monday, October 16, 2017
(BIRDSEYE) - A historical building in Birdseye was destroyed in a fire Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters from Birdseye, Schnellville and English responded to the blaze at the Koerner Block building at 101 and 103 State Road 145 at 3:18 p.m.
Birdseye Fire Chief Dave Smith says when firefighters arrived on the scene the building was engulfed in flames.
Video filmed by Steve Schnarr
As firefighters battled the blaze, the roof collapsed causing the building facade to crumble into the street.
The fire damaged the Birdseye Library across the street and the church, next to the library, windows blew out from the intense heat. To save the home next to the Koerner building, firefighters doused it with water.
It took firefighters about an hour to extinguish the blaze and several hours putting out small flare-ups and hot spots.
Smith says the fire is suspicious and the state fire marshal was called to the scene.
Heavy equipment was being brought in to demolish a portion of the structure to ensure the scene was safe for the traffic on State Road 145 and the nearby railroad.
The owners of the building Ronald and Karen Ellis, planned to donate the building to Save the Koerner Block building committee who just received notification of a $12,500 grant to save the building. Early this year, the Dubois County Commissioners forgave about $10,000 in property taxes to help facilitate turning the building over to the group.
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