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An extra-alarm warehouse fire that left one firefighter injured in the South Side's Back-of-the-Yards neighborhood Tuesday morning has been ruled accidental, according to fire officials.
The cause of the three-alarm fire was ruled accidental as firefighters remained on the scene battling the large blaze at the Rosebud Container Corp., Fire Media Affairs Assistant Director Eve Rodriguez said. The fire was started when workers in the warehouse were using a space heater near some cardboard boxes, which caught fire, she said.
The fire was reported as a still-and-box alarm at about 8:45 a.m. at 1300 W. Exchange Ave. in a warehouse. A large plume of smoke was visible miles away.
The fire was upgraded to a 2-11 alarm at about 9:20 a.m. An EMS Plan 1, which sends five ambulances to the scene, has also been called. As of 9:32 a.m., the blaze was upgraded again, this time to a 3-11 alarm. A hazardous materials response might be called for the fire, officials said.
A still-and-box alarm automatically sends to the scene four fire engines, two fire trucks, one tower ladder, three battalion chiefs, one deputy district chief, one squad company, one command van and one ambulance. The additional alarms send additional crews to help fight the blaze.
A large section of the building's roof collapsed as flames shot from the structure.
Fire crews working from outside the building appeared to be trying to contain the blaze within the structure. NBC5's Mike Anzaldi reported around 9:45 a.m. that firefighters believe an east wall of the building may collapse. That wall was within about 20 feet of a second warehouse. Fire crews were working on the roof of that second building to try to prevent the blaze from spreading.
One firefighter was injured in the fire and was taken to Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in an unknown condition, officials said.
No other injuries had been reported as of 10:25 a.m. Refresh/revisit this page for more information as it becomes available.Additional Information Provided By Chicago Sun-Times Inc.
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