13 Years Gone By: the Westclox Fire

Over a decade later, we revisit the night a five-alarm fire raged on at the iconic factory on Fifth St.

During the final few moments of 2011, at approximately 11:56 pm, the iconic Westclox building in Peru was reported as having caught fire. Initially unsure of the cause for the flames, firefighters raced to the scene with hopes of saving the historic site: a former clock factory which had been in operation, employing thousands of locals, until 1980. The Westclox building had been purchased by a group of investors following its 1980 closure, and was sold to a developer in 2006. At the time of the fire, the industrial space was home to a handful of small local businesses, several of which closed after the events of December 31st. The Westclox building could be classified as having three main sections, the middle of which was completely gone following the five day blaze.. The wreckage of the fire would remain where it fell for roughly a year and half after the fire, and would result in the removal of 1.6 million pounds of steel framing. The fire destroyed 3 acres worth of Westclox, which covers a two by four block area.

 It would soon be revealed that the building was set ablaze by two teenage boys, aged 17 and 15, who were “bored” on New Year’s Eve; the two boys broke into a portion of the building used as storage units, poured out the contents of a gas can they found within, and set the fire. With no intentions of destroying the building, the two were under the impression that they were playing a rather large prank. The fire quickly grew out of control. In the end, 40 fire departments, 200 firefighters, and 3 million gallons of water were needed to put out the fire. The two boys responsible for the fire were sentenced in the following months; the 17 year old was tried as an adult and charged with aggravated arson (the charge was elevated as one firefighter was injured due to an equipment malfunction while responding to the fire). He served 7 years in prison, and was released on parole in 2020. The 15 year old was tried as a minor, and given several years of probation. 

13 years on, it is safe to say that the Westclox factory fire on New Year’s Eve is as much a part of LaSalle County history as the clock manufacturing operation itself and wholly unforgettable.