A fire erupted on the roof of an IKEA warehouse in Joliet on Tuesday, prompting a significant response from emergency services and resulting in one firefighter being hospitalized. The Joliet Fire Department arrived at the scene at 650 Emerald Drive early in the morning after reports of heavy smoke, according to Fox32 Chicago.
The firefighters discovered that about one-third of the warehouse roof was ablaze, which had also permeated the interior of the facility, and despite the gusty winds that could have aggravated the situation, they managed to get the fire under control by around 12:15 p.m. During the incident, a total of 81 firefighters were called to the scene, equipped with five ladder trucks, eight engines, and various other emergency vehicles, Fox32 Chicago reported.
All employees were evacuated safely without injuries, as the fire officials secured the building; however, the exhaustive effort took its toll on one firefighter, who was subsequently taken to the hospital due to exhaustion. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage to the IKEA warehouse remain unknown at this time.
The presence of numerous solar panels on the warehouse's roof posed an additional challenge for the fire crews, even as the flames were extinguished, firefighters remained on the scene to monitor potential hot spots, which has been a concern especially with the recent windy conditions in the Chicago area, NBC Chicago notes. No further details about the fire have been released as investigations into the incident continue.
