Kim Smith
Herald News; Sun-Times News Group

As a fire swept through the Empress Casino complex for more than nine hours Friday, firefighters gave up trying to save the ballroom and the pavilion that housed the restaurants and gift shop.


Instead, they concentrated all of their efforts on saving the casino and the two-story office building in the rear of the complex in southwest suburban Joliet.

"They are still battling some areas," Joliet city spokesman Kevin Hegarty said Friday evening.

Joliet Fire Chief Joe Formhals said an end loader was brought to the scene to sever the walls connecting the barge-style casino and office complex from the burning building. Firefighters had a hard time dousing the blaze because of extensive remodeling work during the building's 18-year history.

"We had to break through two or three ceilings," Formhals said. "You could be inside the building and not see the fire overhead."

At an evening press conference, Hegarty said the casino area was not touched by fire.

Formhals said nearby hydrants couldn't provide enough water to fight the large blaze. The department was helped by water trucks from departments as far away as Mazon in Grundy County.

What started out as a small kitchen fire around 10 a.m. Friday erupted into a raging blaze that would appear to die down one minute, only to flare up again.

Formhals said the blaze was sparked by construction in an area where new seats were being added. The work is part of a $50 million renovation. Nearby kitchen grease traps and stored drywall may have helped fuel the blaze.

The exact cause of the fire won't be determined until the state fire marshal investigates, Formhals said. He said he was not sure if the sprinkler system was working.

Friday evening, Hegarty said the casino area was not touched by fire but that it will take time for inspectors to access the site and take a look at the casino floor, to judge smoke damage and other effects.

Bob Bennet of Joliet was in the casino around 10 a.m. when a voice came over the public address system.

"They told us we had to evacuate because there was a small fire," Bennet said. "Everyone got up and left. It went well. There was no one panicking, no pushing or shoving."

Joliet city councilman Tom Giarrante was on the scene and called the fire "unbelievable."

"The timing is brutal," Giarrante said. "At least no one was hurt. That is a direct result of a lot of fire drills."

About 300 people were evacuated when the fire was detected, and there was only one injury: A Chicago woman fell on her way to the parking lot.

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