Nearly 125 firefighters battled an extra-alarm blaze early this morning that fully engulfed a single-story warehouse just west of downtown, halting more than three miles of commuter train service along the CTA Green Line. No injuries were reported in the fire, which erupted at 3:45 a.m. at 1538 W. Lake St. in Chicagos West Town neighborhood, police said. A telephone directory lists the warehouse as Reliable Plating Corporation. The warehouse stores chemicals, which prompted the Chicago Fire Department to send a hazardous materials team to the scene, said department spokesman Larry Langford.

The fire did not spread to neighboring buildings, he said. No one was inside at the time. Green Line trains, which travel on tracks along Lake, were stopped in both directions between the California and Clark/Lake stations, according to Robyn Ziegler, a Chicago Transit Authority spokeswoman. The Pink Line was also being rerouted, following evevated tracks to Polk Street and connecting to the Forest Park Blue Line at Racine.

A shuttle bus has been made available for stranded commuters between those two stations, she said. Its unclear whether Green Line service will be affected during the morning rush. Lake at Ogden Avenue, and Lake at Justine Street were closed down due to the fire, said Chicago Police Officer Amina Greer. Also closed down were Ashland Avenue at Washington Boulevard, and Fulton Street and Laflin Street, she said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
(By Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 23/10/2006)
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