Fire Crews Extinguish Waukegan Blaze In Sub-Zero Conditions

WAUKEGAN, IL — One firefighter suffered minor injuries and residents were displaced Monday, as fire crews contended with sub-zero temperatures to extinguish an early morning fire in Waukegan.

Firefighters were dispatched just after 3:30 a.m. to the 900 block of Grand Avenue, where they encountered a heavy flames burning two-story building with commercial space on the first floor and apartments upstairs, according to Waukegan Fire Marshal Steve Lenzi.

The three-alarm fire brought assisting units from Grayslake, Gurnee, Great Lakes and other local departments to assist with the fire and covering the rest of the city during the incident.

Lenzi said extreme cold made fighting the blaze more difficult, as firefighters were "not only battling the fire, but dealing with freezing water in many different ways."

It would take nearly eight hours for the fire to be fully extinguished.

All residents were able to escape the building and are being relocated.

Fire officials said power outages were also reported in the area of Low and Jackson streets.

The fire department released an image from the scene showing an engine being towed from the scene after it was frozen over in the incident.

Drivers were asked to avoid the area of Grand Avenue and Jackson Street for the rest of the day Monday. Public works crews are cleaning up accumulated ice left at the scene, according to the fire chief.