Fire crews had an extra-alarm blaze in an abandoned Lawndale neighborhood factory under control Tuesday night after battling the fire for about two hours.
Firefighters were called to what was believed to be an abandoned factory in the 2600 block of West Roosevelt Road about 7:30 p.m. The fire in the large factory, which appears to have been abandoned for some time, was at times visible on the second floor of the building, said Fire Department spokesman Kevin MacGregor.
The fire in the two-story brick building, which was about 200 feet by 500 feet in size, had spread enough to require the Fire Department response to be raised to a 3-11 alarm, sending about 190 firefighters and paramedics to the scene, by about 8:30 p.m.
Firefighters appeared to be making progress in dousing the fire by about 8:40 p.m., MacGregor said. The fire appeared under control just after 9 p.m., and searches of the building had turned up no one in the building, according to the Fire Department. By about 9:10 p.m., firefighters were no longer pouring water on the fire from the outside and instead were attacking the remaining from the rear of the interior.
A hazardous materials response was called as a precaution because of nearby railroad tanker cars. The HazMat response was declared secure a little after 9 p.m. after the rail cars were moved.
There were no reports of injuries. The city Water Management Department was on the scene to help with water needs for the fire. Firefighters had four main main water streams on the fire, and firefighters were not entering the building, fighting the fire only in what's known as a defensive mode--from the exterior--MacGregor said.
The condition of the building's truss roof--a type of roof that is prone to collapse in fires and present in fires last year and in 1998 that both killed two firefighters--was not immediately known.
A 3-11 12 engines, four trucks, two tower ladders, five battalion chiefs, one deputy district chief, one district chief, a deputy fire commissioner, a command van and an ambulance to the scene.
Streets in the area were closed during the fire and Roosevelt Road was expected to be closed overnight as firefighters continued cleanup of the site.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
