A fire Sunday at J and E Auto Shop in Maywood, IL, destroyed the business as well as all the cars that were parked inside. Initial estimates place the damage at $1 million. According to Maywood Fire Department Chief John Cadagin, the fire was likely caused by a fuel spill “around a heat source,” possibly a droplight.
Below is the article as it appeared in the Chicago Breaking News website.
Officials: Fuel Spill Likely Cause of Maywood Auto Shop Fire
March 14, 2010 7:50 PM
By Jeremy Gorner and Carlos Sadovi
A fuel spill appeared to have caused an extra-alarm fire at a Maywood auto service business this afternoon, causing possibly $1 million worth of damage.
Firefighters from several towns lent a helping hand to their Maywood brethren as they battled a blaze at the auto service business in the 1400 block of St. Charles Road, fire officials said.
No one was hurt in the blaze that damaged two buildings on its property.
Two or three people were working inside at least one of the two buildings when the fire started, said Maywood Fire Department Chief John Cadagin. Preliminarily, he said, it appeared fuel spilled "around a heat source," possibly from a droplight, causing the flames to erupt.
He said the fire appeared to have been accidental.
Maywood Fire Capt. Laighton Scott said about eight cars were in at least one of those buildings, and all of them were destroyed.
Scott said the fire might have caused $1 million in damage, which would include the two buildings and all of their contents.
Scott said the initial 911 call about the fire came in to emergency dispatchers about 11:20 a.m., apparently from a passerby on a cell phone. Scott said firefighters arrived at the scene within two or three minutes of the call and saw flames shooting out of at least one of the two burning buildings.
Intense heat from the flames set a tow truck parked in front of those buildings ablaze.
About 15 minutes after the firefighters’ arrival, Scott said, at least one of the roofs of the damaged buildings collapsed.
No other buildings in the area, which include some houses and apartment buildings, had to be evacuated.
Those assisting Maywood’s firefighters included firefighters from Melrose Park, Franklin Park, Broadview, Hillside, Schiller Park, Berkeley, Westchester and Stone Park.
About an hour and 20 minutes into the fire, emergency vehicles had blocked off St. Charles Road for several blocks around the fire scene. A slew of passersby watched as firefighters attacked the fire using hoses from the ground and from a ladder that rose above the burning buildings. Heavy smoke spread to the south of the burning buildings with the aid of chilly winds.
As of 2:10 p.m., a firefighter on a ladder overlooking the tops of the damaged buildings was spraying water from a hose into or onto them, but no obvious flames were present.
Jerdean Davis, who lives the next block over from the business, said she saw a lot of black smoke from the fire.
The nearest building to the ones that caught fire is another commercial property, she added.
To read this article on the Chicago Breaking News website, visit http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/03/maywood-fire-auto-repair-shop.html.
