Oct. 31--Fire Department crews fought an extra-alarm fire at a building housing several businesses, including a Chicago Public Library, that started in a Northwest Side dry cleaner Friday and burned for much of the afternoon.
Three firefighters suffered minor injuries fighting the fire, which was called in about 12:20 p.m. at 3536 W. Irving Park Road, just east of Elston Avenue, according to officials. The fire was under control by 4:20 p.m., and a hazardous materials response was declared over about 5 p.m., according to the Fire Department.
Soon after firefighters were called to the blaze, it "quickly escalated," said Chicago Fire Department Assistant Deputy Commissioner Mark Nielsen.
It was later elevated to a 3-11 alarm response, then to a 4-11 alarm about 3 p.m., with a hazardous materials response because of the dry cleaner.
Gray smoke billowed from the building, a series of storefronts, as throngs of onlookers watched firefighters battle the flames.
The fire advanced into the ceiling, Nielsen said, hitting truss supports that "are notorious for killing firefighters."
A smoke explosion took place at one point, causing minor injuries to three firefighters, who were taken to a local hospital for treatment, Nielsen said.
"They were walking around, talking and joking" soon after, he said of the injured.
The smoke explosion was caused by a perfect mix of air and smoke that found an ignition point, Nielsen said.
"It made a big boom," he said
About five to six businesses caught fire and the local library -- the Independence Branch -- sustained damage as well, Nielsen said.
No one was believed to have been displaced by the fire, and the library sustained smoke damage and some water damage close to the entrance, according to Monica Trevino, chief of staff for Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th.
CTA buses and other vehicles were being rerouted around the area.
