Firefighters battle 2-alarm warehouse fire for nearly 5 hours on Chicago's West Side
For nearly five hours, more than 100 firefighters battled a large fire in Chicago's South Austin neighborhood early Wednesday morning.
The Chicago Fire Department confirmed the 2-alarm fire broke out in the 5000 block of West Lake Street before 5 a.m. CFD said there was a full roof collapse with fire under the roof.
CFD said two workers safely escaped the fire.
The fire department utilized drone video to locate hotspots and work to put out the flames.
One person was taken to a local hospital for smoke inhalation. No other injuries were reported.
On Thursday, CFD said investigators determined the cause of the fire to be accidental ignition from tools used during the removal of old machinery. The fire started on the second floor of the building, which CFD said used to house a printing plant.
CTA confirmed Green Line service has resumed. The fire chief said smoke shut down train service and resuming service was a priority.
Bus service was also being impacted by the fire response.
