People parked along Illinois 71 south of Utica on Memorial Day, watching seven cabins burn up at Grand Bear Resort. Fire damage was estimated at $4 million in one of our top stories of the year. Investigators believe it started because someone left a charcoal grill unattended and wasn’t there to stop the flames. Wind, the wooden buildings, and the lack of a nearby fire hydrant were a destructive combination.
Seven cabins with four units in each were destroyed. Fire trucks from five dozen departments hauled water to the scene and the fire fighters focused on keeping the fire from spreading. Assistant Fire Chief Drew Partain said the battle focus was on protecting nearby buildings not burning. Nothing could be done about the buildings that already burned so much.
No one was hurt because of the fire.
A column of fire department tanker trucks hauls water to Grand Bear Resort during the May 30, 2022 fire.
Seven four-plex cabins like this were destroyed in the Grand Bear fire.