3 - 11 Alarm Fire Destroys Factory

Illinois - A fire that destroyed a metal-plating warehouse early Monday will disrupt traffic for another day on the Near West Side with street closures and train rerouting. The roof of Reliable Plating Corp.'s production facility, 1538 W. Lake St., collapsed in flames that came as close as 15 feet to Green Line tracks.

Chicago fire officials said they are still investigating the cause of the fire, which did not spread to other buildings. There were no injuries.

Green and Pink Line trains will not be stopping at the Ashland station through Tuesday's morning rush hour while crew clear the charred mess, a CTA spokeswoman said. The lines are otherwise running normally.

The fire snarled traffic Monday with several street closures, and fire officials expected Lake Street between Ashland and Ogden Avenues to remain closed Tuesday morning.

The Chicago Fire Department advised that the closures remain in place while workers pump out irritating chemicals from the burned-out building, department spokesman Larry Langford said. The department did not want commuters affected by a possible chemical leak during the cleanup, he said.

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Written by Chicago Tribune