Extra-alarm fire rips through vacant Auburn Gresham industrial building; power cut in neighborhood

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A fire ripped through a vacant industrial building in Auburn Gresham late Thursday, and power was cut for part of the neighborhood.

As CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported, federal agents were on the scene on Hoyne Avenue at 79th Place Thursday night. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrived soon after the Chicago Fire Department got the blaze under control.

While the fire was out by 10 p.m., neighbors were still left wondering what was blowing their way from the empty building.

The Fire Department raised a 2-11 alarm for additional equipment and manpower.

Meanwhile into the night, emergency lights reflecting off windows from fire trucks were only sign of electrical power for the houses nearby.

Residents like Patricia Tolbert – who has lived in the area for over 40 years – stepped outside to a horrible smell.

"And when I got the backyard, a cloud of black smoke – oh, it was really a large, black cloud of smoke," she said.

The raging fire forced Tolbert to call 911.

"I'm kind of confused as to what happened," she said.

The magnitude of what firefighters were up against was serious. Firefighters did not enter the building as it was too dangerous, but directed hose streams onto the fire from the air and ground.

Meanwhile, neighbors questioned what exactly was fueling the dark plumes.

"I have some issues; some breathing problems and so I'm concerned if some kind of toxic fumes are still in the air - and I'm wondering if it will contaminate anything in the house," Tolbert said.

Neighbors' windows were closed due to what was blowing their way – all while they lost power for hours.

And with how quickly the fire spread – not to mention the manpower it took with CFD to knock down the blaze – the fire in the vacant building had many scratching their heads late Thursday.

"We wonder what caused, it because they park the trucks in there," said another resident, Tom.

"It's not just an ordinary fire," added Tolbert. "Something ignited it that's not quite right."

We spotted federal ATF agents on the scene, though it was not clear late Thursday if they suspected anything nefarious.

"Were they working in there? Something else going on inside?" said Tolbert. "That's the big question mark right now."

We do know the roof of the building collapsed. But the cause of the fire remained under investigation late Thursday.

In:
• 79th Street
• Auburn Gresham
• Fire