Fire at North Shore Towing Causes Power Outages Over Weekend

A fire spread through crushed automobiles Sunday afternoon at North Shore Towing in Evanston, burning cars and causing a power outage to Skokie and Evanston customers.

Firefighters were still finding small fires amid the piles of crushed automobiles a couple hours after a passerby reporting the blaze, according to an email from the city. No structures were affected, only cars.

The fire started on the east end of the yard at 2527 Oakton St. Downed power lines next to the property caused more than 700 power outages in Skokie and more than 50 in Evanston, the city said.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but firefighters expect it will be difficult to determine given the “high density” of burnt cars.

The Evanston Fire Department was assisted by fire companies from Skokie, Wilmette, Winnetka, Niles, Park Ridge and Northfield.