STERLING – A body was discovered Monday afternoon inside a residence that caught fire Sunday in an unincorporated town outside of Sterling.
The fire at 5500 Mill Street in Emerson began about 3:15 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19. That day, fire crews made multiple attempts to search the interior of the structure, but were forced to evacuate due to heavy fire conditions and a partial collapse of the ceiling on the first floor, according to a news release from the Sterling Fire Department.
During a recovery mission conducted at the residence Monday, the Sterling Fire Department, Illinois State Fire Marshal and Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office discovered a body inside the home about 2:30 p.m., Whiteside County Sheriff John F. Booker said in an interview with Shaw Local.
