Lora A. Vitek Mayor | City of St. Charles
Lora A. Vitek Mayor | City of St. Charles
The City of St. Charles has released the third episode of its limited podcast series, "City Insider," focusing on the major fire that occurred at the former Pheasant Run Resort in May 2022. The incident involved more than 100 firefighters from 20 departments and required a significant effort to control, with the blaze taking 15 hours to contain and three days to fully extinguish.
In this episode, listeners hear directly from St. Charles Fire Department Battalion Chiefs Tony Centimano and Dave Chmelar, as well as Lieutenant Joe Davila. They share their experiences responding to what is described as the largest fire in the city’s history. According to the release, “More than 100 firefighters from 20 departments worked tirelessly to battle the massive blaze, which took 15 hours, 7 million gallons of water, and three full days to extinguish.”
The podcast also includes an "Inside City Hall" segment that introduces residents to members of the City Council. This episode features Alderpersons Jayme Muenz and Ryan Bongard discussing issues relevant to Ward 2.
"City Insider" aims to give listeners insight into public service by featuring conversations with city staff and elected officials. The show is co-hosted by Lisa Garhan and Kara Silva from the City’s Communications team. Each episode consists of two segments: one focusing on a city service topic with staff members, followed by a discussion with local elected leaders.
The six-episode series releases new episodes every other month between June 2025 and April 2026 and can be found on Spotify and YouTube. The podcast is recorded at the Sound Studio in the St. Charles Public Library.
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