Firefighter Injured Battling Chicago Warehouse Blaze

An extra-alarm warehouse fire which left one firefighter injured in the South Side's Back-of-the-Yards neighborhood Tuesday morning has been put out, but firefighters will remain on the scene for several hours.

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The cause of the three-alarm fire at the Rosebud Container Corp. has been ruled accidental, Fire Media Affairs Assistant Director Eve Rodriguez said. The fire was started when workers in the warehouse were using a propane 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 started on a loading dock, officials said. At the height of the blaze, a large section of the building's roof collapsed as flames shot from the structure.

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 Level 1 Hazmat response called to ensure that water run-off was not contaminated and because of chemicals in and around the building was secured at 10:35 a.m., Rodriguez 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.

Fire crews working from outside the building were able to contain the blaze within the structure. NBC5's Mike Anzaldi reported around 9:45 a.m. that firefighters believed an east wall of the building could collapse. That wall was within about 20 feet of a second warehouse. Fire crews worked from the roof of that second building to prevent the blaze from spreading.

One firefighter was injured in the fire and was taken to Mercy Hospital and Medical Center for minor injuries, officials said.

No other injuries were reported.

The scene was secured at 10:54 a.m., Rosado said. Firefighters will remain on the scene for several hours treating hot spots. Also in today's news: Slideshow: Fast-Moving Fire Destroys Upscale Malibu HomesAdditional Information Provided By Chicago Sun-Times Inc.