EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville's Fire Department and other neighboring agencies spend an enormous amount of time training and preparing for the worst possible fire and smoke situations. Fast response, training, and proper equipment saved the McDonald's and Circle K businesses during a serious fire Thursday night, Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said Friday morning. Whiteford said the crews did respond quickly to the 8:15 p.m. call to his department and by 9:25 p.m., the fire was out. When crews arrived, thankfully workers and customers had left the building and no one was hurt. However, the visibility was about one foot ahead inside the structures because of the heavy smoke initially he said. "We had to use thermal imaging equipment to be able to see through the smoke," he said. "It enabled us to figure out where the fire was coming from and extinguish it. "Our technology and training with it really paid off. I am always so proud of all our firefighters and those who assist us
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