A 16-year-old boy has been charged with starting a massive fire that destroyed most of a vacant warehouse in Cicero earlier this week. The incident, which sparked a five-alarm response, began when the teen and a group of friends allegedly went to the abandoned building at 1829 54th Ave. on Tuesday night.

According to local officials, the teens started the fire, possibly to stay warm. However, the boy reportedly played with the flames, causing them to spread rapidly. The group then fled the scene before emergency crews arrived.

The first call about the fire came in just after 6:15 p.m. Firefighters worked through the night and into Wednesday morning to bring the blaze under control. At one point, the fire spread to a neighboring building at 1843 54th Ave., home to Central Steel Fabricators. That structure was also completely destroyed.

Meanwhile, another fire broke out early Wednesday around 3:30 a.m. at a residence on 1410 S. 50th Ct. It quickly spread to an adjacent home at 1412 S. 50th St. Officials later determined that this second fire was caused by a space heater and was ruled an accident.

More than a dozen fire departments responded to the warehouse fire, which lasted over 12 hours. The teenager was arrested on Friday night following information provided to Cicero fire investigators and police. Authorities confirmed that no other juveniles will face charges related to the incident.

From NBC5:

A teenager has been charged with starting a five-alarm fire that destroyed a vacant warehouse and a nearby business in west suburban Cicero. The incident occurred earlier this week, and the suspect was arrested on Friday night after authorities received key information from the Cicero Fire Department.

The accused, believed to be a high school student, was reportedly with two or more other teens who went to the warehouse at 1829 54th Avenue. According to sources, they started a fire, likely to keep warm. However, the teen reportedly played with the fire, causing it to spread uncontrollably. The group then ran away.

Firefighters arrived just after 6 p.m. on Tuesday and found the building fully engulfed. The flames were visible for miles, and the fire raged for over 12 hours. It eventually spread to a nearby business, Central Steel Fabricators, which was filled with flammable materials like cardboard and aerosol cans. Both buildings were completely destroyed, but no one was injured.

“We’re very pleased that this fire has been resolved and a suspect has been identified,” said Fire Chief Ron Opalecky. “The community is safe now, and we’re working closely with law enforcement to ensure justice is served.”

Cicero Town President Larry Dominick praised the efforts of firefighters and police for their quick response and thorough investigation. “These are terrible tragedies, but our teams did an incredible job protecting our community,” he said.

Thanks, Dan.

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