The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by David Grimes, Quill Correspondent
Smoke damage will require a massive cleaning effort at Hamilton Supermarket, a recovery that will keep the Oquawka's store's doors closed for about a month.
Owner Kent Hamilton said Tuesday that he was called to the store at about 1 a.m. Monday, where he met with fire and police officials.
"The place was full of smoke," he said, noting the store should be reopened within a month.
The initial cause of the fire, Hamilton said, was a burnt-out motor in an ice cream cooler. While a brick wall stopped the spread of the fire, he said soot spread throughout the store.
On Tuesday, Hamilton said health inspectors were on site, determining what could be saved.
"It'll be a complete washdown of every item and throwaway of a lot of items," he said.
Located at Fourth and Schuyler streets, the store, which originally opened in the early 1940s, employs five workers.