March 10--Chicago firefighters battled a stubborn extra-alarm fire that started in an auto repair shop this morning and spread to two other building in the Irving Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side.
The fire started not long after 3 a.m. and firefighters were still still fighting flare-ups four hours later.
The fire was centered inside an auto repair shop in the 2900 block of West Irving Park Road. Heavy smoke drifted east toward California Avenue, creating a thick haze for blocks that cut visibility to less than 50 feet in places.
As flames spread to two neighboring buildings, the roof of the repair shop collapsed, catching power lines on fire. They popped like fireworks in the alley while crews worked.
More than two dozen pieces of fire equipment and about 100 firefighters and paramedics worked the scene. Just after 5:30 a.m., the 2-11 was struck out and some crews were allowed to leave.
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