Crime & Safety
Investigation Into Plainfield Farmhouse Fire Continues
Rain on Halloween night likely helped saved more than 1,000 acres of corn near the vacant house, an official said.
Plainfield police and fire officials are still investigating a suspicious fire that gutted an abandoned farmhouse last week.
Firefighters responded to the blaze in the 1500 block of Johnson Road in the early morning hours of Nov. 1; by the time crews reached the home, located about a half-mile back from the road, the fire had already destroyed the vacant two-story house.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the cause of the fire had yet to be determined, according to Deputy Fire Chief Jon Stratton, although the blaze was still being investigated as a potential arson.
"We've done a lot of interviews and followup," Stratton said, adding Plainfield police are also investigating. "We've been working hand-in-hand with them out there."
While the home has been abandoned for years, the fire could have had devastating consequences. Stratton said firefighters worked to keep the blaze from spreading to a nearby cornfield, adding that rain the previous night likely helped save more than 1,000 acres of corn.
Stratton said crews searched the area, but didn't find any sign of anyone near the site immediately following the fire.
"We're still looking at it as suspicious," Stratton said this week.
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