WAUKEGAN, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Waukegan Fire Department continues to pour water on hot spots from a major fire overnight in a large boat storage warehouse near Lake Michigan.
The Waukegan Fire Department responded to an automatic fire alarm around 8 p.m Wednesday to 3 E. Madison St. First arriving units on scene found flames showing inside a very large boat storage facility, the Waukegan Fire Department said.
Battalion Chief Mark Pietraszak upgraded the response to a working still for a confirmed structure fire. Crews were met with challenges of navigating and accessing the fire in the large boat warehouse.
Eventually, the response was upgraded to a 4th alarm due to extensive operations and the extreme cold the firefighters on scene had to deal with. The boats on fire were difficult to extinguish due to their size and accessibility, the Waukegan Fire Department said. The warehouse housed approximately 60-70 large boats.
Approximately 100 firefighters from all over Lake, McHenry, and Kenosha counties responded to battle the blaze.
Fire crews were able to put out the fire around 2:30 a.m., officials said. No injuries were reported. Crews remain on scene putting out hot spots.
“The crews did an exceptional job in very extreme conditions. The nature of the boat storage is difficult to navigate in smoke and fire conditions. The multiple alarms allowed Command to rotate crews to keep them safe during a difficult fire," said Fire Marshal Todd Zupec.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time and under investigation. Estimated fire loss could be several million dollars depending on the damage to other boats.
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