Two Firefighters Hurt Battling South Loop Blaze
Updated 12/31/14 - 11:13 a.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Two firefighters suffered minor injuries battling an extra-alarm fire which interrupted service on the CTA Green Line.
The fire started around 3 a.m. in a one-story commercial building at the corner of State Street and Cermak Road in the South Loop.
The building houses a cell phone store and three fast food restaurants – one ironically named Dragon Fire.
Firefighters allowed the fire to burn through the roof, while pouring water in from overhead before entering the building, due to dangerous conditions inside.
"Because of the size of this building, and because the fire was coming through the roof when we got here, it was too dangerous to let the firefighters enter the structure," District Fire Chief Bill Vogt said.
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Though the fire was mostly out by 8:15 a.m., smoke and steam were still billowing from the roof.
"Because of the heat from the fire, and the cold air outside, it creates a lot of steam, which makes it look like there's a lot of smoke," Vogt said.
All four businesses were a total loss.
Two firefighters were injured when they slipped on ice that formed on the street and sidewalk. One firefighter suffered an ankle injury. The other hurt his back. Both were taken to hospitals for treatment of minor injuries.
Conditions were so cold as firefighters doused the flames, ice formed on their jackets. Vogt acknowledged it was bitter cold, but it was nothing firefighters couldn't handle.
"The firemen are conditioned for this. They're trained to do this," said Vogt, who was among the firefighters covered in ice.
The building sits almost directly beneath the elevated tracks for the Green Line, and the Cermak-McCormick Place station, which is still under construction. Due to the fire, the CTA has suspended Green Line service between Roosevelt and 35th-Bronzeville-IIT. Shuttle buses were providing service between those two stations.
The CTA said normal service would resume at 8:30 a.m. Crews were assessing any possible damage to the Cermak-McCormick Place station.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
