Fire broke out through the roof of The Second City comedy troupe offices in Old Town, Chicago on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Four firefighters and the manager of Adobo Grill restaurant were injured in the blaze. More than 100 people were evacuated from the building.
“At one point, I was very anxious. It has gutted our two levels of offices. But we’ll fix it. They advised us to close tonight but I suspect we will be open tomorrow,” said Second City CEO Andrew Alexander to the Chicago Tribune. “The theaters are fine. The most important thing is that no-one is hurt. Thank the Lord.”
Black and gray smoke towered over the offices at 1610 Wells Street, as the fire went through the wooden roof of the building. The Chicago Fire Department could not break through the brick walls and instead had to break windows. Firefighters poured water through the windows of the third floor and through the roof.
The fire originated from a stove in the kitchen of Adobo Grill. It began as a grease fire and quickly spread through the ventilation system. The restaurant is located on the first floor and The Second City’s offices are located on the second and third floors of the building. Firefighters successfully put out the fire at 3:20 p.m.
The Second City, a sketch and improv comedy theater and training center tweeted the news at 11:02 a.m. ET. People were safely evacuated from the three-story limestone building at approximately 11:22 a.m.
While the fire is out, firefighters are currently dealing with another situation. Two feet of water was trapped inside the building. Chicago Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago told ABC News that usually they create a hole in the floor to let out water. They could not utilize that method, as the water is located directly above a theater. Letting water through the theater would result in water damage.
“We’re working with a lot of water. We’re taking our time because we don’t want to destroy the Second City Theater,” said Santiago.
Tyler Alexander, the Vice President of brand and marketing said that he was on his lunch break when he noticed that it was abnormally hot inside the conference room. He evacuated the building after seeing smoke.
