Joliet Loses Historical Building, It's Ruined: 3 More Photos

JOLIET — Joliet Fire Department Battalion Chief Victor Stachelski issued a follow-up press release indicating that Joliet's biggest building fire of the year, at 927 Collins Street, the old U.S. Steel property destroyed a building on the National Marker for Historic buildings.

The fire broke out around 3:15 a.m. on Saturday. Nobody was injured during the blaze.

On arrival, the fire was extending approximately 15 feet in the air from every window on the second floor, Stachelski noted.

Fire also quickly engulfed the roof. Crews set up for a defensive attack from the exterior of the building. Truck 1 and Tower 6 set up master stream waterways to put as much water on the fire as possible. Crews also had multiple hose lines deployed around the base of the structure.

As the fire grew in intensity, flying embers were pushed by a north wind south on Collins Street. for two blocks. A second operation was set up to check for extension on the structures along Collins St. Outside a small brush fire, there were no exposure problems to any other properties.

He said that crews fighting the fire had to be mindful of collapse zones around the structure.

Fire crews from stations 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, responded to the scene.

On Saturday, the Joliet Fire Department told Joliet Patch that US Steel officials from Indiana were traveling to Joliet to meet with city of Joliet building inspectors to determine what happens next. The building will likely have to be torn down since the roof is gone.

As far as the cause, Joliet fire officials said it's too early to speculate on whether it was arson, accidental or something else that caused the fire.