Joliet Tire Fire: Battalion Chief Reveals Details

JOLIET — Joliet Fire Department Battalion Chief Jim Batusich issued a statement on Sunday night providing more details of the mid-afternoon fire that created a giant black cloud of smoke over Joliet's east side, a black cloud you could see for miles and miles across Joliet's skyline.

According to Batusich, at 3:35 p.m. on Sunday, the Joliet Fire Department responded to the 200 block of Logan Avenue for a tire fire. The first units arrived within 4 minutes of the call and were met with heavy black smoke and fire.

Hundreds of tires were on fire in a vacant lot. Multiple hose lines were used to extinguish the fire.

City of Joliet Public Works assisted in extinguishment by supplying a front-end loader so that fire crews could access the tires. The fire was declared under control at 4:30 p.m. Crews remained on the scene for three hours, extinguishing hot spots. Fire crews from stations 1,3, 4, and 6 responded to the scene. There were no injuries to report.

The fire cause was undetermined, Batusich said.

Joliet Fire Chief Jeff Carey told Patch on Sunday that the fire happened at 292 Logan, the former IVEX paper mill.