Ill. Firefighters Battle Warehouse Blaze, Frigid Temps

Rockford firefighters battled frigid temperatures as well as the flames at a vacant warehouse early Tuesday.

The fire started in the former Asher Tool & Machine Sales, and spread to the building next door, according to The Rockford Register Star.

Falling debris shook the ground for blocks around as scene, the paper reported. \

Flames lit the night sky as the fire burned for more than eight hours.

“We have multiple agencies here with the demolition of the fire building,” District Chief James Rife told the reporters.  “The railroad tracks are shut down so we are trying to orchestrate that with the railroad people and there are a lot of moving parts.”

It is one of the largest fires of the last 25 years.

Firefighters remain on the scene to combat hot spots.