Extra-Alarm Blaze Damages Norwood Park Lumber Yard
Updated 10/20/15 - 10:51 a.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Chicago lumber yard went up in smoke and flames Tuesday, when dry and breezy conditions forced firefighters to return to the warehouse after they seemingly had the blaze under control.
It wasn't the first time the family-owned Harry's Lumber Co. has faced a devastating fire. The Norwood Park neighborhood lumber yard burned down 25 years ago Monday, but was rebuilt.
Passed down through four generations, the lumber yard faces the challenge of recovering from another major fire.
Most of the wood in the yard was spared, but the warehouse was a total loss, after a fire that first broke out around 4 a.m. at 6220 N. Northwest Hwy. The first firefighters on the scene soon had to call in a lot of support, raising a 2-11 alarm to bring in more than a dozen trucks and engines, and dozens of firefighters to contain the flames.
Within less than 90 minutes, firefighters seemed to have the blaze under control, and struck out the 2-11 alarm. However, with winds gusting at more than 20 mph at times Tuesday morning, the smoldering embers of the fire rekindled around 7 a.m., and soon the warehouse was fully engulfed in smoke and flames again.
This time, the Fire Department called in even more crews, raising a 3-11 alarm, which brings in at least 12 engines, 4 trucks, 2 tower ladders, a squad company, a command van, and more than 100 firefighters.
Firefighters got the blaze under control again, striking out the 3-11 alarm shortly after 8 a.m., though plenty of firefighters remained on the scene to continue pouring water on the embers to prevent another flareup.
Complicating matters the second time around was the metal roof came down, creating a barrier over the burning embers, preventing firefighters from being able to reach the flames from above. Firefighters have been trying to reach it from different sides throughout the morning, but it has proved a challenge.
One of the workers who was at the lumber yard when it was wiped out by an even bigger fire in 1990 said he can't believe it happened again.
"I'm really upset, what can I tell you? I've been working here 30 years," sales manager Ron Bourdon said. "We'll rebuild again. You don't give up so easy."
Officials never determined the cause of the 1990 blaze, and it was unclear how soon they'd be able to begin investigating the cause of Tuesday's fire.
Tuesday's fire has been contained to the warehouse, but firefighters were still on the scene late Tuesday morning. Fire investigators said they would check to see if there were any working sprinklers inside.
No injuries were reported.