FIRE DESTROYS ILLINOIS 12-LANER

Litchfield Bowl in Litchfield, Illinois — 45 miles due south of Springfield — was destroyed in a fire on March 17.

The 12-lane center had been closed for about a year and had been on the market with an asking price of $300,000. Tarrant & Harman Real Estate and Auction Company had the listing.

The Litchfield Fire Department was called to the site mid-afternoon based on a report of smoke coming from the building. A firefighter who lives nearby responded and called for more help. By that time, the fire had spread to the roof, and a hose line was used to protect a neighboring garage. Crews used ladder trucks to try to extinguish the fire, but part of the roof collapsed.

Firefighters also had to deal with heavy winds, which fueled the blaze, and multiple neighboring departments were called in to assist.