AURORA – Firefighters remained at the scene of a trailer fire at a northeast side business well into Tuesday evening, working to clear smoke long after the flames had been doused.
The fire broke out Tuesday afternoon at Interstate Pallet Company, 1400 Mitchell Road, just north of Indian Trail. Firefighters got the call around 4:25 p.m., according to Assistant Chief Tom Greiner, and several units responded to the scene.
(Steve Buyansky/Staff Photographer)
The fire began in a heat treatment chamber – essentially a trailer attached to the loading dock used for heating pallets for overseas transport, according to Interstate officials. There is no heat source within the trailer, officials said, but burners beneath it warm the air inside.
When firefighters arrived on scene, Greiner said, smoke was pumping out of the loading dock's windows and doors, and flames were licking the ceiling. The blaze was under control within 30 minutes, but firefighters could not enter the building until the thick smoke cleared.
The fire is still under investigation, and no cause has been determined. No damage estimate was available Tuesday night, and no one was injured.