Fire stops service on Green, Orange lines
A five-alarm fire in the South Loop that sent one firefighter to the hospital, halted service to two CTA lines, and caused a nearby college to be evacuated Tuesday afternoon was finally under contol, though firefighters remain on the scene.
The fire in a landmark building, which was raised from a four-alarm to a five-alarm at about 5:15 p.m., was under control as of 6:25 p.m. according to Fire Media Affairs spokesman Richard Rosado.
"The five-alarm, EMS plan and HazMat response were all secured," Rosado said. "Units remain on the scene and will be on the scene for some time dousing fires and chasing hot-spots."
(Jon Sall/Sun-Times)
“For safety reasons, Green and Orange Line service between Roosevelt Road and the Loop will remain suspended until further notice,” the CTA said in a release. “CTA will not resume service until a determination can be made on whether the tracks sustained damage and whether vibrations from trains could cause the structure to collapse further.”
For the Wednesday morning rush, inbound Green and Orange Line trains will travel as far as the Roosevelt station. At that point, customers must transfer to the Red Line or to the No. 29 State bus at Roosevelt Road to continue their trips into the Loop, according to the release. The transfer will be free.
Once in the Loop, customers can transfer for free to the elevated trains at Library station or at State and Lake. Green Line trains will run clockwise on the outer loop tracks along Wabash to Van Buren to Wells and return to the Harlem/Lake terminal in Oak Park, the release said. Inbound Green Line service from Oak Park will operate into the Loop, but will travel around the Loop and head back west instead of continuing south at Adams/Wabash.
The CTA advised Wednesday morning commuters traveling from the South and Southwest sides to allow extra travel time. The CTA will have extra staff on hand to direct customers and additional trains on the Red Line to accommodate travelers, who should still allow extra travel time
Because of the blaze, the department evacuated Columbia College, located across the street from the blaze in a vacant six-story building at 630 S. Wabash Ave., Rosado said. The department also asked ComEd to shut off power and the CTA to halt Green and Orange Line trains from running in the area.
Police also blocked Harrison Street to Roosevelt Road to all traffic, Rodriguez said.
About 300 firefighters were on the scene shortly after 6 p.m. in "defensive mode" fighting the blaze, Rosado said.
The responses were both initiated when the department was first notified of the fire at 2:56 p.m., Rosado said.
The fire started in the basement and the smoke and flames spread throughout the building, according to Fire Media Affairs Assistant Director Eve Rodriguez.
A firefighter was transported in fair to serious condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Rodriguez said. She said the firefighter’s injuries were not life-threatening, but she could not elaborate on what type of injury was suffered.
A civilian a block away from the blaze was also taken in "yellow" to Northwestern because she had an asthma attack, Rosado said. But that injury had nothing to do with the fire, he said. He also denied reports of a second firefighter injured. "As of now, there is only one fire-releated injury," he said at 6:40 p.m.
The structure, built in 1887, is the Dexter Building, designated as a Chicago Landmark in 1996, according to the Web site for the City Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division.
The building was most recently the George Diamond Steakhouse, police News Affairs Officer JoAnn Taylor said.