I-80 reopens after firefighters battle blaze at Joliet warehouse

JOLIET, Ill. (WLS) -- Interstate 80 has reopened after firefighters closed several lanes to battle a blaze at a warehouse in south suburban Joliet.

A fire broke out at MPG Industries at around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, filling the sky with black smoke near I-80 and Cherry Hill Road. The company, which provides specialty chemicals, was closed at the time.

"It was huge, yes, very surprising how much smoke there was," said Patty Botka, who lives nearby.

New Lenox firefighters said they found two buildings engulfed in flames when they arrived at the property near the 20600th block of Amherst Ct. The blaze completely destroyed one of the buildings, and the other is significantly damaged.

Multiple departments were called in to help fight the fire.

Emergency officials shut down a stretch of I-80 to attack the fire from the interstate.

Daniel Kinsley, a truck driver, called the traffic "unreal."

Fire officials said the blaze is under control.

Will County HazMat is monitoring the environment and handling product control of the runoff from the fire, a fire district spokeswoman said.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown. No one was inside the buildings at the time of the fire.