A Chicago alderman wants a full investigation into a fire that ripped through a North Side scrap yard on Sunday, prompting a hazmat situation.
Flames broke out around 9 a.m. at General Iron Industries at 1909 N. Clifton Avenue, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
Thick black smoke could be seen billowing from the scrap yard miles away. Chicago Fire Media posted a tweet showing a crane lifting what appears to be a car from a smoldering pile of scrap.
Shortly after firefighters responded to the scene, Chicago Fire Media announced a level one hazmat situation on its Twitter page.
Second Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins told NBC 5 News the company has a history of problems. He said there has been an ongoing investigation for the scrap yard owners for past OSHA violations. His office is calling for a full investigation into the scrap yard's combustible materials.
"We believe that they are illegally storing combustible materials here and we are going to get to the bottom of this," said Alderman Hopkins.
Alderman Hopkins said he believes General Iron Industries is a hazard to the community and should be shut down.
The fire was put out by 11:15 a.m., according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Investigators have not released a cause of the fire. No injuries were reported.
