Villager Char Blue had an early morning appointment yesterday, outside the west gate of the Village. Following her appointment she decided to get in a little shopping at Company’s Comin’s, behind Cranford’s. She parked her 2005 Chrysler Town and Country van in front of Company’s Comin’ near La Petite Bistro and went inside. A few minutes later someone came in to warn the owner of the van that it was on fire. It looked like the fire originated in the engine compartment and quickly spread to the rest of the van.

Mrs. Blue said the brakes had not seemed quite right when she parked the van but had no idea why the van caught fire.

There was smoke damage at Company’s Comin’ but the firemen ran industrial fans in the business to try and mitigate the damage. Company’s Comin’ also had cracked front windows from the intensity of the fire. Soffit blistered, smoked and dropped from building ceiling because of the close proximity of the fire.

Malcom and Melinda Bickford own both Company’s Comin’ and La Petitie Bistro right next door. Melinda Bickford said it took 15 minutes before any fire company arrived. Fire trucks responded from Fountain Lake and Jessieville. At one point she said she was so concerned for her businesses that she called the Village fire department and begged them to respond to the fire. She was told the request had to come from a responding fire department. According to Bickford, one of the responding firemen told her the Village was given two requests to respond.

Both businesses are open and seeing customers. Mrs. Blue's husband picked her up and her insurance agent was on the job within minutes.