By Lisa Donovan
The Chicago Sun-Times
A piece of Chicago’s architectural history went up in flames Tuesday as fire ripped through a South Loop building where workers had been using cutting torches to remove valuable metal in the vacant structure.
Firefighters began arriving at the Wirt Dexter Commercial Loft building, 630 S. Wabash, just before 3 p.m.
Amber Matkaitis was leaving class at nearby Columbia College when she saw smoke billowing from the second and third floors of the six-story building. She found her car boxed in by more than two dozen fire trucks on Wabash.
FLAMES SHOOT FROM WINDOWS
An hour later, flames were shooting from two top-floor windows. “Those were covered by some boards, and there was just this burst . . . " and fire ate through the boards, said Matkaitis, 22, of Forest Park, a senior majoring in photography.
By 4 p.m., Chicago Fire Department commanders were ordering firefighters out of the building, fearing the floors would collapse -- and they did, Fire Commissioner Raymond Orozco said.
At its worst, the fire was raised to five alarms, meaning 300 firefighters, paramedics and support staff were called to the scene. Late Wednesday, smoke was still pouring from the building.
A hazardous materials team also was summoned because there was a report of acetylene tanks in the basement of the building, Orozco said. Fire investigators suspect the blaze started in the basement. The building’s owner told investigators that a scrap-metal salvage crew was using acetylene-oxygen cutting torches just before the fire started, Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.
COLUMBIA CLASSES CANCELED
Investigators said the fire appeared to be an accident.
Two firefighters and a passerby were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation and other minor injuries.
The Chicago Transit Authority shut down the L tracks behind the building Wednesday afternoon, rerouting trains between the Loop and Roosevelt Road. For safety reasons, CTA officials said, Orange and Green line train service in that area has been suspended until further notice.
State and Wabash will be closed to traffic today from Balbo to Harrison. Balbo and Harrison will be closed from Michigan to Dearborn.
Columbia College canceled classes today at its 619 S. Wabash and 623 S. Wabash buildings.