9 Vehicles Destroyed In Joliet Storage Garage Fire

JOLIET, IL — A total of nine vehicles, including three racing cars, were destroyed in Monday night's fire at the storage facility of John Lawson, owner of John Lawson's Auto Rebuilders, Joliet Fire Chief Greg Blaskey told Joliet Patch on Tuesday morning.

The Joliet Fire Department kept firefighters on the scene for 12 hours with the final crews leaving around 7 a.m. on Tuesday. At least 40 Joliet firefighters were called to the scene and the Joliet Fire Department called back an off-duty shift to monitor the city's remaining fire stations.

The Joliet Fire Department was able to stop the fire from spreading to the Lawson's family house as well as a neighbor's garage only 3 feet away, Blaskey told Patch on Tuesday.

Firefighters were also alerted by the owner that he had 300 gallons of nitro methane racing fuel stored in the front of the storage garage. Joliet firefighters were able to keep the tanks cool to prevent them from exploding, Blaskey added.

"The owner made us aware that there were trailers and a lot of stuff inside that garage. The first responders weren't even sure what building was on fire because there was so much smoke," the fire chief told Patch.

Joliet's fire investigators were on the scene Tuesday morning in hopes of figuring out the fire's cause. "There were no injuries from any citizens," Blaskey said. "That building was 50 feet by 100 feet. We had to do a defensive attack. This fire had a big head start on us."

On Monday night, Joliet Partch reported that a large fire Monday night at an auto repair storage facility on Joliet's east side was prompting police to re-route traffic along Briggs Street. The "smoke is so thick you can't see driving," one Joliet Patch reader complained around 8:30 p.m.

Blaskey informed Patch that the fire was inside a large storage building at 707 Algonquin St. belonging to the owners of Lawson's Garage, a well-known business on the city's east side. The fire began around 7:45 p.m.

Dozens of Joliet firefighters worked hard late into the night to stop the flames from spreading toward a family's house next door, as well as to other adjoining homes in the neighborhood.

The family's business, Lawson's Garage, is actually blocks away and was not damaged by the fire. A message has been posted on the Facebook page for John Lawson's Auto Rebuilders: "Sorry for any inconvenience but the office will be closed tomorrow. Please leave a message and we will return your call ASAP."

Joliet community activist Bob Hernandez was in the area and captured photos of the fire for Patch. He also posted a Facebook Live feed indicating no one was injured and said he spoke with a couple members of the Lawson family at the scene.

The Lawsons told Hernandez that a passerby stopped and alerted the family that there was a fire coming from the storage garage next to their house. The large garage contained vehicles and heavy equipment.

Joliet Police Chaplain Father Chris Groh was also on the scene and indicated no one was hurt, according to Hernandez.

The large building fire occurred in the city's Ridgewood Neighborhood. The Joliet Fire Department was using its aerial ladder truck for several hours to douse the building's roof with water in an effort to stop the fire's spread.

Additionally, at least a dozen Joliet police officers were securing the area late into the night. Hernandez told Patch the officers were doing an outstanding job with traffic control and keeping the area safe for the firefighters battling the difficult blaze.

John Lawson posted Joliet Patch's article of Monday night's fire on social media and he also shared a heartfelt message with his racing fans.