‘There were two or three hundred tires in there, inflated and all popping’

No one was injured in an industrial building fire on Friday that drew help from fire districts around Will County, according to the fire chief.

Rockdale Police Chief Robert Dykstra said he received a call at 4:15 p.m. about a possible structure fire at Longhorn Trucking at 132 Harris Drive in Rockdale, the site of the old Polar Service Station, now located in Channahon, he said.

Dykstra arrived a few minutes later with Sgt. Robert Baikie and Officer Jason Hine and found the 150,000-square foot building engulfed in flames. Officer Kurt Griffing arrived shortly afterward, he said.

“A lot of tires were exploding when we first got here,” Dykstra said. “There were two or three hundred tires in there, inflated and all popping. That was a little bit challenging.”

Dykstra said they heard one person might be inside. So he, Baikie and Hine went into “the thick black smoke,” calling his name, not even certain anyone was inside, he said.

They found him struggling in the smoke, trying to salvage some property, and got him out of the building, Dykstra said.

He said Longhorn Trucking has about 35 to 40 employees. The company does light and heavy mechanical work, Dykstra said.

“I get it. Obviously, it’s their livelihood,” Dykstra said, later adding: “You can replace property. But you can’t replace lives.”

Dykstra said the area where staff actually work on trucks is “a complete loss” and estimated the loss at $1 million.

Fire districts that helped included Joliet, Rockdale, Romeoville, Braidwood, Oswego, Peotone, Homer and “some from DuPage,” he said. Troy brought a ladder truck but Troy also was fighting a barn fire Friday afternoon, Dykstra said.

Longhorn Trucking is located on a dead-end street on a large parcel of land, with limited access, he said. Trucks parked on Larkin Avenue and Route 6 and extinguished 80% of the fire by 5:39 p.m., he said.

Dykstra said he heard a truck leaning up against the building had caught fire, which spread to the building. But that hasn’t been verified, he said.

He also heard some people were having trouble breathing and relocated to a nearby gas station. But officers didn’t find anyone there. It’s unknown if they sought medical help, he said.