More than 20,000 wooden pallets were destroyed, along with the building where they manufactured in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, during a massive fire. Dozens of pieces of machinery, forklifts, and industrial equipment were also destroyed in what business owners described as a “total loss.” Propane tanks were also heard exploding during the fire.
More than 300 firefighters battled the blaze, which could be seen for miles away. Two firefighters were injured fighting the fire and were taken to a nearby hospital in good condition. The fire snarled traffic on downtown expressways and stopped Metra service in the city. The fire destroyed an adjacent train track used by one of Metra’s lines, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The business, Commercial Pallets, had closed for the day when an occupant of a neighboring business noticed a fire had started in the corner of the lot. A neighboring building housing a diesel shop was thankfully spared from the fire. A row of semis formed a thermal barrier, serendipitously preventing the fire from spreading, according to CBS News.
There’s been no information released on the cause of the blaze, as investigators continued work at the stie, but hot temperatures and high winds that day are thought to have contributed to the fire spreading quickly.
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
