Gary Peccola found a growing fire in his basement Thursday morning when he went to check on an alarm.

Collinsville Firemen at the scene of an early morning house fire on Sept. 4 / Photo by Roger Starkey

Peccola, the Collinsville Unit 10 School Board president, grabbed a rug and tried to stamp out the fire. More magazines on the rack, on which it is thought the fire may have originated, began to catch fire. Soon nearby boxes were also burning.

Peccola called up to his wife, Debbie, to call 911. Debbie collected a few valuables, after making the call for help, and rushed outside. Neither was seriously hurt, although Peccola had some blisters on his fingers from attempting to put out the fire and a skinned knee.

Five fire trucks responded to the blaze in the 100 block of Guinzy Hill, in Collinsville. Fairview Heights and Maryville sent one truck each. The Caseyville Fire Department also provided support. Collinsville Fire Department Captain Dave Meadows said the cause of the accidental fire has yet to be determined.

The blaze destroyed items from Peccola’s late mother that were stored in the basement. No School Board material was lost in the fire, Peccola said. He was not sure what in the house was salvageable, but assumes the family no longer has any clothing.

The fire spread from the basement to the walls of the first floor. The majority of the damage on the first floor was from heat, water and smoke, Meadows said. Nearly every window in the home was broken.

Waiting for a chance to enter his house, Peccola said he was not sure if he and his wife would be able to live in the home again. Peccola is building a new house on the same lot. The new home did not sustain any damage.

Peccola said he wished he were better prepared for the fire.

“The lesson from this one is always have a fire extinguisher,” Peccola said.

The fire was the third major Collinsville house fire since Aug. 3.