Three-Alarm Fire Consumes Abandoned SW Side Building
(STMW) -- An abandoned building on the Southwest Side was in the midst of collapsing as a result 3-alarm fire earlier Monday evening.
The blaze broke out in an abandoned building in the 3600 block of South Homan Avenue, halting nearby railroad traffic on the Southwest Side, according to Fire Media Affairs.
The fire was burning for about two hours when the roof was weakened to the point of collapse, fire media said. A deluge unit -- a high-powered fire hose with a higher water spraying capacity -- was also requested to help put out the blaze.
Fire crews were having difficulty getting water to the building to extinguish the fire, and laying hoses across the railroad tracks directly south of the building to battles the flames, fire media said.
Crews were still fighting the fire as of 7:30 p.m.
Trains on Metra's Heritage Corridor were blocked because of the response, the rail agency said. Outbound train No. 921, scheduled to arrive at Joliet at 7:17 p.m., is turning around and heading back to Union Station.
Commuters are advised to find alternative transportation, and can use Metra's Southwest Service or Rock Island District lines that depart from the LaSalle Street station, Metra said.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
