A stubborn, 4-alarm fire that consumed most of a vacant warehouse and spread to a nearby building in west suburban Cicero was finally put out Wednesday morning, authorities said.
Crews were called to the warehouse, at 1829 54th Avenue, just after 6 p.m. Tuesday. The building was completely engulfed in flames that could seen from miles around by the time firefighters arrived.
At one point, the fire jumped and ignited the Central Steel Fabricators building next door. That building is full of cardboard and aerosol spray cans, causing officials to worry about explosions..
The buildings are located just west of the Cicero Animal Shelter, but officials said none of the animals were in jeopardy.
Complicating matters even further are the frigid single-digit temperatures.
"With the ice conditions, right when you open up a hose line the streets are a sheet of glass, we're falling, everyone's trying the best we can, we've got salt trucks from the town out there, it's hindering us very much," Cicero Fire Chief Ron Opalecky said.
As crews were battling the warehouse fire, others were called to deal with a fire at a multi-family building several blocks away.
Service on the Chicago Transit Authority's Pink Line was temporarily shut down due to the fire but resumed shortly after midnight, officials said.
The cause of the fire remained unknown early Wednesday.
