Fire breaks out at warehouse near O'Hare Airport; 1 hurt

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. - One person was injured after fire broke out in an industrial park near O'Hare Airport Tuesday morning, sending thick plumes of smoke into the sky.

The fire started around 7 a.m. at a semi-truck repair business near the west end of O'Hare's airfield by Pan Am Boulevard and United Lane in Elk Grove Village. It turned into an inferno, sending clouds of black smoke into the sky.

Rudy Flores was working across the street and shot video of the flames. He said he heard three loud booms and could feel the heat from the fire. The smoke could be seen for miles and reportedly caused planes at O’Hare to be assigned to different runways.

The fire knocked down wire from utility poles. Firefighters said the presence of petroleum products did contribute to the volume of the blaze.

"When we arrived on the scene we encountered four semi-trailers on fire, two tractors, seven personal vehicles as well as overhead power lines," Elk Grove Village Acting Fire Chief Nathan Gac said. "There was also a worker that was a victim of some burns and that took the priority of our response …. We are working with the Illinois EPA to monitor the water runoff as well as the Water Reclamation District to make sure if there's any contaminants that might have been contained. are cleaned up appropriately."

The burn victim was transported to Loyola Hospital.

The Bensenville and Wooddale fire departments assisted. The cause of the fire is under investigation.