Fire And Ice: Firefighters Turn Massive Warehouse Blaze Into Ice Overnight [Gallery]

A massive fire raged overnight at a warehouse in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago. More than 200 firefighters battled the blaze during sub-freezing temperatures and in the morning the Harris Marcus Group building at 3757 S. Ashland was completely covered in ice.

Chicago Fire Cmsr. Jose Santiago told the Chicago Tribune:

“This was a very large fire, unbelievable fire load, a lot of wood, timber, old stuff, varnish … Once it caught, it caught and ran. Everything is wood inside these buildings, beautiful façades on the outside. They’ve been up for a long time. When they start burning like this, they start coming down.”

Santiago said that the freezing temperatures made his crew’s job a little tougher. Fire ladders froze and equipment was weighed down with ice. The Fire department had to call in for special equipment to help heat up and defrost the ladders.

The fire last night, a 5-11 with two special alarms, was the largest blaze in Chicago since 2006. WGN reports that more than 50 fire companies were called to fight the blaze.

Chicago Fire Department Deputy Fire Cmsr. John McNicholas told ABC:

“Over 30 years of being on the job, I have seen several five alarm fires, but they are a rarity, especially when this type of magnitude.”

No one was injured in the fire.

Here are some photos from the blaze last night in Chicago.