Multiple departments battle warehouse fire
Multiple fire departments responded Monday to an extra alarm fire at the Morgan Li warehouse, 1101 Washington Ave., Chicago Heights, shortly after 6 a.m., said city spokesman David Ormsby.
The warehouse, which sells furniture and fabrics, was fully engulfed in flames, Ormsby said.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
In a Facebook post, Morgan Li confirmed the massive fire but stated “the most important thing is that all our people are safe and accounted for.”
Morgan Li, a family-owned and run business, has four other manufacturing facilities and “will continue to support our customers throughout the other operational locations,” according to the post.
“We consider all our employees an extension of our family; we will do everything we can to rebuild what was lost and continue to support our people and the entire Chicago Heights community,” the company said.
Company officials are working with authorities and cooperating with the investigation, according to the statement.
Police officers blocked off East 12th and East 11th streets off Washington as firefighters worked.
Ormsby said the fire was extinguished at noon, but crews remained on scene to put out hot spots. No injuries were reported and the fire did not spread to any surrounding structures, he said.
The Illinois State Fire marshal began an investigation Monday afternoon, Ormsby said. ComEd and Nicor Gas crews responded to the scene and found no issue with any electrical or gas lines, he said.
James Muhammad, who lives a block from the warehouse, said he and other residents stood outside to watch the fire at about 7:15 a.m. He said he could smell the smoke from his front door and there was a large emergency crew response.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before, only in movies,” Muhammad said.
Catelyn Jones, who also lives a block away, said she heard commotion and when she went out on her porch she saw smoke. Jones said she didn’t stand outside long because she was worried about her allergies.
“The biggest part of the fire I saw was on TV,” Jones said.
David Zaber, a consulting toxicologist, said he saw the fire from the back porch of his Homewood home.
“Immediately I knew something was on fire,” Zaber said.
The dark color of the smoke made him concerned about toxic chemicals moving through the air, Zaber said. As he drove to the scene, he said he could smell chemicals as the smoke traveled west.
Zaber, who grew up in the area, said Chicago
Heights and the surrounding towns, while still struggling economically, have been slowly rebuilding after businesses in the area and Gary, Indiana, started closing a few decades ago.
“My heart breaks for people who are out of a job,” Zaber said. “This is the sort of massive fire that could cause distress.”