Fire breaks out at former Doyle Manufacturing site in Quincy

QUINCY – Quincy Fire Department and Tri-Township Fire Department responded to a large fire on the property at the former Doyle Manufacturing site at 40th and Broadway Monday evening.

Fire crews got the call at 7:40 pm, according to Quincy Fire Chief Steve Salrin. Billows of smoke could be seen from downtown and, upon arrival, crews found the former office building of the plant fully engulfed.

Quincy Police worked to shutdown Broadway between Applebee’s and Mr. Deals Auto Center. Fire crews ran water lines across the road with multiple crews from both QFD and TTFD working the scene.

Salrin said the crews fought the fire from a defensive standpoint as the building was lost an the goal was to keep it from spreading to other buildings on the property, which is vacant.

The fire was immediately upgraded to a third alarm bringing Engine #4 to the fire and calling in off
duty firefighters to man Engine #7, Engine #8 and a Heavy Rescue. As crews arrived two tower ladders, deck guns, and large diameter handlines were deployed to slow the spread of the fire and protect near-by structures.

A total of 31 firefighters responded to the call.

At approximately 1:00 am Tuesday, all crews, except for Engine 2, cleared from the scene. Engine 2 remained on scene to start a rotation of fire crews throughout the night, checking for hotspots and closing Broadway Tuesday morning.

There is extensive fire damage to the structure, but all near-by buildings were protected including the condos to the north of the structure. Cause and Origin Investigators are in the process of investigating the scene and working to determine the cause of the fire.

Assistance was provided by Tri-Township Fire, QFD Rehab Team, Adams County Ambulance, Quincy Police Department, and Ameren.

Doyle, a manufacturer of dry fertilizer equipment, had a fire at same location in May 2012. That fire was determined accidental in nature.

The company moved its operations to a state-of-the-art facility on U.S. 61 just north of Palmyra in 2015.

On Tuesday morning, the Doyle family issued a statement regarding the fire:

“Last night, a fire destroyed our old vacant office building in Quincy. While it’s difficult to see a place that was once a part of our company’s history lost, we are incredibly grateful that no one was injured.

“We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Quincy Fire Department, Tri-Township Fire Department, Quincy Police Department and all first responders for their swift, professional, and courageous response. Their efforts kept the surrounding area safe and prevented further damage, and we are deeply appreciative of their dedication to the community.

“From our entire family, thank you.”

Photos by Annie Reller, Aspen Gengenbacher, Bob Gough and Eric Riutzel.