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DECATUR — The Decatur Fire Department responded to an explosion in a basement late Thursday evening.

According the Battalion Chief Timothy May, fire crews arrived at the scene at approximately 10 p.m. Thursday in 400 block of South 19th Street to find light smoke showing and discovered the majority of the above grade basement walls had been blown out of the structure.

"There was visible fire in the basement that was quickly extinguished by exterior operations," May said in a press release.

The gas supply to the house was shut off at the meter until Ameren arrived and further isolate the supply line. The residents were located and confirmed they were not home during the explosion.

The incident is under investigation.

1932: Members of the firemen's quartet at No. 6 firehouse are from right to left: Willard Phillips, Frank Screeton, Cliff Harris and Claude Osborne. 

1932 fire department chief and captains.

1961: City of Decatur Fire Department from left to right, fireman Clarence Howard, Battalion Chief Everett J. Riedel and Captain Leo Harding. 

1973: From left, top, Art Alderman, Jim Burg, Bill Sebok, Jim Huhk, Charles Carnock and Bob Sullivan. Bottom, Jerry Taylor, Capt. John Peck, Firechief A.V. "Hap" Hamm, Bob Wolf, Pete Sturgis.

1951: City firemen, Alpha Hamm and Paul Sebok, demonstrate new equipment fur use against intensely hot fires, such as gasoline truck or airplane fires. 

1939: Carl Koshinski, truckman at No. 1 firehouse, demonstrates new nozzle which will be used for wall and attic fires.

1936: Firemen from No. 1 station were trying out their new headgear, steel helmets designed to protect the firefighters against injuries from falling timbers and beams. 

1915: No. 4 firehouse captain Park, Quinn Gregg, Malcolm McGlasson and S.J. Crew.

1932: Firemen quartet from No. 6 firehouse

Contact Donnette Beckett at (217) 421-6983. Follow her on Twitter: @donnettebHR

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