Large fire tears through multiple businesses on Chicago's West Side

Published June 19, 2026 7:01 AM CDT

A large fire broke out at a commercial building on Chicago's West Side Friday morning, sending thick smoke into the air that could be seen from miles away.

What they're saying:

The Chicago Fire Department believes the blaze started in the kitchen of a restaurant located in the 5600 block of West Division Street in the Austin neighborhood.

At the scene, flames could be seen shooting through the roof of the building. Firefighters evacuated the strip, which housed several businesses, and were initially fighting the fire from just outside because of the size of the blaze.

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No injuries were reported, and neighboring buildings did not sustain any fire damage, per CFD. They did note, however, that the businesses had some water damage because of the firefighting efforts.

Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles across parts of the city.

What's next:

As of 8 a.m., firefighters were still at the scene but had planned to wrap up operations in the next half hour.

The Source: The information in this story came from the Chicago Fire Department and SkyFOX over the scene.

AustinNews