La Grange Park, Illinois, transformer fire behind animal hospital destroys multiple cars, damages more

Multiple cars were destroyed by fire after a transformer explosion in La Grange Park, Illinois, Tuesday afternoon.

Village officials posted to their social media accounts, instructing residents to stay away from the area around La Grange Road and 31st Street because of a transformer fire.

Officials said around 1:34 p.m., firefighters were called to the Arbor Animal Hospital on East 31st Street after it appeared a utility pole came down in the parking lot at the rear of the building along with two transformers and three main power lines. 

Oil from the transformers caught fire, fire officials said, and erupted into massive flames. Four cars were destroyed in the parking lot of the adjacent medical office building. 

The animal hospital, BP gas station and medica office building were all evacuated due to the massive blaze. The downed electrical lines, which appeared to be involved in the fire, hampered initial efforts to extinguish it, La Grange Park fire officials said, but firefighter were able to address the blaze in several vehicles. When ComEd arrived, the lines were quickly de-energized and the fire was struck out. 

Photos and video posted to social media showed multiple cars engulfed in flames and thick, dark smoke rising from the scene.

No people or animals reported any injuries, fire officials said. ComEd was able to restore power to the wider area within several hours and worked over night to replace the pole, repair remaining damage and restore power to the animal hospital and BP station. 

While ComEd also cleaned the area of the remaining spilled mineral oil from the transformers, fire officials said there is also damage to the driveway and parking pavement, and some concrete, as well as the four cars that were destroyed and damage to others that caught fire.