LIMESTONE – The Limestone Fire Department announced late Tuesday night following a failed referendum Limestone Fire will be un-staffed beginning November 7th.
“We ask the public to be understanding of the fact that response times to emergencies on the weekends will be dramatically longer than they are during the week while we are staffed.” Limestone Fire said in a Facebook post late Tuesday night.
Fire officials warned residents of the measures long before Tuesday’s vote for additional funding. The referendum failed by less than 200 votes.
The news comes as dry conditions increase the likelihood of field fires in the area. The National Weather Service issued a warning at the beginning of the week. Shortly after Newton County reported a field fire. The nearest fire station is in Kankakee, nearly six miles away or a 10 minute drive from the Limestone community.
“If sufficient volunteers do not respond, residents will be forced to wait for other jurisdictions to respond.” Limestone Fire warned Tuesday.
In Kankakee County, three fire departments asked residents to invest in their stations on Tuesday in Bourbonnais, Grant Park, and Limestone. All three referendums failed.
