Massive fire destroys New Lenox cabinet company: 'We did everything we could'

NEW LENOX, Ill. - A large blaze destroyed a cabinet company in New Lenox on Thursday, forcing nearly 70 employees to evacuate.

The fire started just before 10:30 a.m. at Tri-Star Cabinet & Top Co., Inc., which is located at 1000 South Cedar Road.

According to the New Lenox Fire Protection District (NLFPD), firefighters arrived on the scene to find heavy smoke and flames coming from the building. There were about 60–70 employees inside at the time it began. All of them were evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported.

Tri-Star spokesperson, Joseph Wilda, III, spoke during a press briefing this afternoon. He said he was in the office, working, when the fire broke out.

"It was just a normal work day here, and then the fire alarms went off… we did everything we could. We got all of our employees out safely," Wilda said.

"I was in my office, I was just working. I went into the shop and I was probably within about 15–20 feet of the fire and I realized there was no stopping it, and we decided to evacuate immediately," Wilda added. "It was terrifying. We've been here since 1969. This is our home. We have over 70 employees. This is their home too, so it was just really terrible to see."

New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann also spoke during the briefing, saying the family who owns the company has been in the community for nearly 60 years.

"We are very grateful that everyone got out safely, that all the fire departments and mutual aid did such an outstanding job in keeping all of us safe," Baldermann said.

It took firefighters four hours to get the 3-alarm fire under control, according to New Lenox Fire Protection District Chief Adam Riegel.

"The area the fire was in was what we call ‘pole barn,’ – basically wood and metal. That building all got too soon to collapse down on it, which caused more problems by heavy metal on top of the fire," said Chief Riegel.

He said firefighters were expected to remain on site for several hours monitoring hot spots.

Some in the area were given evacuation orders, including Karen and Dave Wheeler. They run a home daycare about a block from the fire scene. 

"It is scary, very scary. When you have children in your house, you have to take care of them," said Karen Wheeler. "You couldn’t see a thing, it was just devastating black smoke – can’t see nothing in front of you."

Mike Osborne was driving around when the fire started.

"The smoke was so close that it filled my whole truck with black smoke. Literally, I thought I need to back up and get out of here and I was on the phone with my wife and I was like, I can’t even breathe in my own truck," said Osborne.

Crews are working with the EPA to monitor air quality in the area, and traffic is being rerouted while the firefighting efforts continue.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation by the state fire marshal.