Fire At Haley Mansion Ruled Accidental And Did Over A Million Dollars In Damage

The fire at the Patrick Haley Mansion in Joliet on Wednesday, February 1st has been ruled accidental. It was at 3:45 p.m. that the Joliet Fire Department responded to The Patrick Haley Mansion at 17 South Center Street for reports of a fire. On arrival, fire crews were met with heavy smoke from the roof area. Truck crews vented the roof and found heavy fire in the attic. Fire attack crews entered the second floor to open the ceiling to attack the fire. The fire was brought under control in 40 minutes. Crews on the scene continued to extinguish hot spots and perform salvage and overhaul operations until 8:30 p.m.

The Mansion employees were working in the building at the time of the fire preparing for an event at the Mansion that evening. Everyone was able to make it out with no injuries. Fire crews performed salvage operations to protect as many valuables as possible.

The Mansion suffered heavy damage to the third floor and the attic. The first and second floors suffered from water damage. The additions to the Mansion, including the kitchen and banquet hall, sustained no damage. The estimated loss to the building is $1.25 million. The structure should be able to be repaired.

Fire investigators determined the cause to be accidental and are still working to determine an exact cause. The fire started on the third floor.

Fire crews from stations 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7 responded to the scene.