Extra-Alarm Fire Destroys Vacant Motel In Franklin Park
UPDATED 08/11/11 7:50 a.m.
FRANKLIN PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- An extra-alarm fire early Thursday destroyed a vacant motel in Franklin Park.
The fire broke out at the former Super 8 Motel at 3010 Mannheim Rd. The fire broke out before 2 a.m., and the blaze was raised to a third alarm shortly after 3 a.m.
As of 6 a.m., flames were still shooting out of the building, as aerial towers poured water onto the structure.
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Firefighters were forced into defensive mode, rather than entering the building, according to dispatch reports.
Firefighters will have to wait until the flames burn off part of the roof structure so as to get inside. CBS 2's Kris Habermehl points out that there is no risk versus reward in fighting the fire in this situation, since the vacant structure is already a total loss.
There were no reports of injuries, mainly due to the fact that the motel was vacant to begin with.
Mannheim Road was blocked from Grand Avenue to Irving Park Road to accommodate the firefighting efforts.
Firefighters were bringing the blaze under control as of just before 7 a.m.
But Franklin Park Fire Chief Steve Iovinelli tells WBBM Newsradio's Bernie Tafoya it could be noon before Mannheim Road is reopened.
"We're going to be out here for a while," he said. "We're flowing a lot of water. We've got a lot of hose on the street, so it's going to be a while."
Iovinelli figures some 100 firefighters and other personnel from 17 departments were dispatched to fight the fire.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
