Fire that destroyed Dolton warehouse under investigation; owner believes blaze is suspicious
A U-Haul facility that was destroyed in a massive fire on Tuesday in south suburban Dolton, Illinois, also caught fire days earlier, and the owner believes both fires were suspicious.
A devastating inferno tore through E Vett Trucking & Warehouse on Tuesday, with massive flames shooting out the windows and gutting the facility.
The building stood tall for decades at 142nd and Dolton Avenue, but was destroyed within hours, leaving only a pile of burned debris.
Firefighters returned to the scene Wednesday morning after the fire reignited, as the owner, Larry Gardner, has raised questions about what caused the blaze.
Gardner believes his business – which offers moving services like U-Haul trucks, trailers, and towing equipment – was intentionally set on fire.
Dolton fire officials said the same building caught on fire Friday. Gardner says he believes that fire is a case of arson too.
The same building also was raided last December, when the state's auto theft task force recovered 10 vehicles that had been stolen from Chicago.
Gardner blamed one of his tenants, and said he had no idea there were stolen cars there. He has since voided their lease.
The Dolton Fire Chief said the Illinois State Fire Marshal is investigating both fires at the facility.
