WASHINGTON PARK, Illinois — More than 10 fire departments responded Monday morning to a fire that burned a gas station to the ground in Illinois.
The fire started just before 11 a.m. at the Crown Food Mart and gas station at 1441 Kingshighway in Washington Park. Washington Park firefighters arrived to find flames through the roof. They made entry but were pushed out by the "condition and severity" of the fire and had to switch to an exterior attack, according to Assistant Fire Chief Ronnie Harris.
Black smoke could be seen rising high from the structure as it was fully engulfed in flames. The blaze reached three alarms before firefighters had brought it down to a smolder.
The gas station was operating at the time but was evacuated without any injuries.
Harris said it is the largest commercial fire that the department has dealt with since a fire that destroyed a city municipal building in October, causing damage to their own fire department.
"It's difficult," Harris said. "Any fire that we have anywhere in the village is difficult. I'm praying that they rebuild the gas station. That leaves us now with just one more gas station in the community."
Harris said the fire could have turned out much worse.
"Thank God due to the fast calling of the workers in there hitting the button ... crews were here within like two or three minutes. The sub fire station is around the corner less than two blocks away," he said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
This is a developing story. It will be updated as more information becomes available.
