Over 150 classic cars lost in fire at Illinois museum

Over 150 classic cars were destroyed last Tuesday in a fire at the Country Classic Cars’ (CCC), Staunton, Illinois.

Reports suggest that the flames could be seen from far away, and the nearby roads had to be cordoned off before the team of 90-100 firemen could commence operations.

Parts of the showroom and the warehouse had already caught fire by the time the team arrived. What added to the difficulty was that the nearest fire hydrant was located about 2km away. Additionally, the building’s wood-intensive construction allowed the fire spread rapidly. 

The fire started at about 8pm, and was brought under control by 10:30 pm. By then, however, most of the facility had been destroyed. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

CCC is celebrating 20 years of business this year. The facility kept around 600 classic models dating from the 1920s to the 1980s. A fourth of them have been lost in the fire, and CCC owner Russ Noel is still unsure of what the damages may add up to. Among the ones lost, about five percent belonged to owners who had put their car on sale via CCC.

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