Video of Gurnee Holiday Inn extra-alarm fire showing intense fire and smoke conditions. Video credit: Larry Shapiro/Shapiro Photography/shapirophotography.net.
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Google Street View of former Holiday Inn building.
Gurnee Fire Department at about 7:35 p.m. Tuesday requested a fifth alarm for a fire at the former Holiday Inn building, 6161 Grand Avenue, just northwest of Great America.
The fire was discovered at about 6:45 p.m. by workers involved in renovation that were leaving work for the day.
Firefighters attacked the fire in the banquet hall, but had to go to defensive mode with tower ladders and desk guns from outside the building. The banquet hall was separated from the hotel with a lobby and foyer. Firefighters saved the hotel area, but the lobby was damaged. Overnight, demolition crews knocked down unstable structures that remained in the banquet hall area.
During the fire the Tri-State Tollway off ramp to westbound Grand Avenue was reported closed at 7:40 p.m. Tuesday. Grand Avenue was also blocked as hoses were placed across Grand Avenue.
The building is listed as Current Project for SSC Construction:
Renovation Vista Hotel & Conference Center to Holiday Inn, Gurnee, IL.
The fire was also reported from passersby on Grand Avenue with heavy black smoke and flames showing.
Fire Departments from Antioch, Beach Park, Buffalo Grove, Countryside, Deerfield, Round Lake,, Fox Lake, Grayslake, Great Lakes, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Lake Villa, Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods, Long Grove, Mundelein, Newport, Pleasant Prairie (WI), Spring Grove, Wauconda, Waukegan, and Zion assisted Gurnee Fire Department. The MABAS Division 5 Air Unit was also on the scene. Gurnee Fire Department is a member of MABAS Division 4 (see MABAS info and map at bottom of page …)
Video from the fire scene at sunset and following.
Developing …