A massive fire tore through the vacant Balmoral Race Track along Dixie Highway in Crete Township on Sunday, sending thick plumes of smoke over the south suburbs as neighbors watched from near the highway. Flames chewed through sections of the building’s roof while fire crews stayed on scene, working to keep the blaze from spreading further.
According to ABC7 Chicago, the fire broke out along Dixie Highway, and video from the scene showed large columns of smoke rising from the track. Officials told the station that crews were in defensive mode as flames pushed through the roof, and the cause of the fire was not immediately known.
What the site is
Balmoral Park is a longtime harness-racing facility at 26435 South Dixie Highway in Crete Township, according to TwinSpires. The roughly 198-acre property has been marketed to developers in recent years, according to sale materials from Keen-Summit.
Local response and next steps
The Crete Township Fire Protection District, which covers roughly 30 square miles and lists stations on Dixie Highway, including Station #43, is the primary local responder, according to its website (Crete Township Fire Protection District). ABC7 Chicago reported that authorities had not immediately released additional information and that investigators were on scene Sunday.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and officials have not yet provided a damage estimate or any information about possible injuries. Local officials and the property’s owners are expected to review the structural damage and consider next steps for the long-idle racing venue as investigators work to determine what sparked the blaze.
