Fire burns for nearly 24 hours, sends black smoke billowing at Joliet, Illinois scrap yard
JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) -- A fire broke out Friday afternoon at a scrap yard in Joliet, and firefighters fought the blaze all through the night and into the next day.
The fire burned for nearly 24 hours altogether.
The Lockport Township Fire Protection District said it was called at 2:17 p.m. Friday for a fire at the BL Duke Joliet Industrial Scrap Metal Recycling Yard, located on Genstar Lane off Broadway Street.
Lockport fire companies found an "exceptionally large" scrap pile on Fire. Firefighters from the Joliet Fire Department were already there.
Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen for miles. Piles of scrapped items were apparently burning.
Fire companies worked all night and into the morning. They used heavy equipment operators from BL Duke to spread out burning debris and reach the center of the fire.
The scrap yard is used for recycling materials, which constituted most of what was on fire, the fire protection district said.
No buildings caught on fire. Workers were on the scene during the fire, but there were no injuries reported.
The area where the scrap yard is located has a limited hydrant system. Water tankers were initially brought in, but water later had to be sourced directly from the Des Plaines River.
Numerous fire departments came in to assist with firefighting and fill in for Lockport firefighters who were out at the scrap yard. They included the Bristol Kendall, Elwood, Plainfield, Rockdale, Northwest Homer, Oswego, Lisbon-Seward, Minooka, and Manhattan, Illinois fire protection districts. The nearby Citgo refinery assisted with personnel and fire suppression foam, while the Crest Hill Water Department assisted with water.
The cause of the fire remained unknown late Saturday.