One-third of the Chicago Fire Department's on-duty personnel has responded to a 5-11 alarm fire that has engulfed two warehouse buildings, causing part of one to collapse, in the Bridgeport neighborhood Tuesday night.
A four-story building caught fire after 9 p.m. and then jumped to another building, according to the Chicago Fire Department. Extra alarms, bringing more fire equipment, firefighters and paramedics were called shortly after firefighters arrived.
The commander used two 'special alarms' to call for additional equipment, firefighters and paramedics beyond what a 5-11 alarm calls for.
“I’m looking at the south side of the main fire building and there’s a big portion of exterior wall and roof collapse,” said Firefighter Meg Ahlheim, a Chicago Fire Department spokeswoman.
There was “extreme fire” throughout the buildings. Nobody has been reported injured.
The fire in the second building was mostly extinguished as of about 10:25 p.m. but the first building is "still involved," Ahlheim said.
The special alarm is "extremely rare" according to the Chicago Fire Department. About 200 firefighters and paramedics are at the scene.
The alarms normally escalate one at a time beyond a normal fire response, though the scene commander skipped a fourth alarm once the fire jumped to another building.
There were at least one other 5-11 fire in 2012 - in Avondale on the Northwest Side. That burned for hours but didn't required the special alarms called for Tuesday night's fire.
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