Shelter-in-place lifted after extra-alarm fire at Shorewood farm supply store

Crews battled a massive fire that broke out Tuesday morning at a farm supply business in Shorewood.

The blaze broke out around 4:30 a.m. at Tri County Stockdale Co at 25520 W. Black Road, destroying four of the business' six buildings, according to Troy Fire Chief Andrew Doyle.

The buildings stored fertilizer, pesticides and seed among other agricultural products that caught fire, producing toxic smoke as they burned.

The Troy Fire Department issued a shelter-in-place order around 7 a.m. for all residents within a 2-mile radius northeast of the location to shelter in place due to the smoke. The shelter-in-place order was officially lifted around 8:15 a.m.

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"I looked out the back window and just saw the huge flames," said Tom Zurliene who lives nearby and owns a landscaping business. "At least once a week we buy all our grass seed fertilizer straw blanket that type of stuff over there."

The smoke is being monitored for toxic fumes and the Environmental Protection Agency has been notified, fire officials said.

"I heard the first explosion and it woke me up, rolled over and nudged the wife and said ‘Look out the window!’ the sky was glowing orange and pitch black smoke," said neighbor Scott Huminsky.

Fifteen agencies and roughly 60 firefighters assisted the Troy Fire Department with the blaze. Chickens and two exotic birds that were in the building were rescued by emergency personnel.

The fire is under control and crews will remain on the scene through the night, Doyle said.

Black Road has been closed off between County Line and River Road as crews continue to extinguish the fire.

No one was injured in the fire and no one was at the business when the blaze began, according to Doyle.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined but the State Fire Marshall and ATF are investigating. Area air quality will be monitored for the next few days, Doyle said.

Shorewood is a village roughly 40 miles southwest of Chicago.

The owner of the company did not want to make an official statement.