
The battle to extinguish a massive fire that devastated a vacant Bridgeport warehouse in 2013 left behind an ice palace on Ashland Avenue. Chicago’s biggest fire in seven years chased nearly a third of the city’s on-duty firefighters to the scene at 3757 S. Ashland Ave. One firefighter was injured in the battle. Some 200 firefighters went to the scene, which was elevated to a 5-11 alarm fire with several specials, meaning extra equipment and manpower was needed even after the fire reaching the department’s highest alarm classification.