Antioch firefighters with mutual aid firefighters successfully extinguished a fire at the Gander RV Service, but one firefighter was injured.
Police and firefighter/paramedics from Antioch responded about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, September 3, 2022 to a report of fire in a commercial building across from the BP gas station at Route 45 and Route 173 in Antioch. Firefighters received a report from 9-1-1 calls that flames were showing explosions were heard, and that part of the building was collapsing. An Antioch fire chief was first on the scene and reported a fire in the center of the building at the Gander RV Center service building at the site of the former Pedersen GMC trucks location. Heavy smoke and fire was reported showing through the roof of the RV service building when firefighters arrived on scene. Crews had to force entry into the business through a locked gate to gain access the property.
Antioch Fire Department Ladder 211’s crew reported seeing a smoke header visible as they were responding to the scene.
“We would like to thank all of our neighboring fire departments for their assistance helping to knock out this blaze. Everyone did a great job to bring this fire under control as quickly as possible.”
— Fire Chief Jon Cokefair
A MABAS Division 4 Box Alarm was requested at 7:42 p.m.
Firefighters, paramedics and/or command officers from Beach Park, Bristol (Wisconsin), Fox Lake, Grayslake, Gurnee, Lake Villa, Newport Spring Grove, Winthrop Harbor, and Zion were assigned on a MABAS Box Alarm and/or initially as automatic aid for a working fire.
Firefighters, paramedics and/or command officers from Richmond, Grayslake, Waukegan were assigned as Change of Quarters to standby in Antioch for any other emergency incidents.
Crews on scene at Gander RV faced heavy fire and some explosions from a north side garage inside the structure. The fire was brought under control, then extinguished by 9:30 p.m. Overhaul and investigation of the blaze continued until early Sunday morning.
The exact monetary loss is unknown at this time but is expected to reach into the millions of dollars due to the building, RVs and contents destroyed by the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Antioch Fire Department.
One firefighter was injured during the blaze but was treated and released without requiring transport to an area hospital. No civilians were injured in the blaze.
Traffic delays or road blocks in the area the intersection of Route 45 and Route 173 occurred during firefighting operations.
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