5 vehicles destroyed by fire after explosion at Rogers Park parking garage

WLS logo
Friday, November 13, 2015
Car explodes, 5 vehicles destroyed by fire
Five vehicles were destroyed by fire after a car exploded on the top floor of a parking garage in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Five vehicles were destroyed by fire after a car exploded on the top floor of a new parking garage in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.

Flames were seen shooting out of the Pritzker Parking Garage, located near North Sheridan Road and West Sherwin Avenue, early Friday morning. The fires were extinguished by around 5:30 a.m. Friday. No one was hurt.

Several vehicles caught fire after an explosion in a parking garage in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.

The structure is owned by the Pritzker family and was opposed by many neighbors here.

"We were against this parking structure, our board voted unanimously against it due to public safety reasons," said Bill Morton, Rogers Park Chamber of Commerce.

But it did open, this September. Part of the structure is now taped off, glass is strewn all around, and access to the top floor is prohibited and being watched by Chicago police.

Jim Dennison saw the video and was worried his car may have been damaged. It was parked directly below the car that exploded.

"I've seen it. It's incredible - something we're not used to here," Dennison said.

Those that park here are worried about coming back.

"I'll be out here searching the area for parking now, again, it's terrible," said Tonya Taylor, who used the parking structure.

Investigators are looking into what caused the explosion. They are not calling this incident suspicious.