Monitoring Desk: Chicago International Airport control center caught fire. All Flights diveretd. FIRE in control tower at Chicago International Airport.
NBC reported that thousands of people were either milling about or sleeping on benches, the floor, and baggage claim conveyor belts. “A fire at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport near the control tower has stopped all inbound & outbound flights”, reported official sources. The nature of fire is yet to be determined.
Fox news reported:
Up to 20 people were evacuated after a fire was found in the basement of the NATCA facility, according to Lt. Craig Mateski of the Aurora Fire Department. A man was found in the basement with self-inflicted wounds. He was taken to Aurora Hospital where he is undergoing treatment. One male was also treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and was released, Mateski said.
There are currently no flights going in or out of O’Hare or Midway airports. The fire is now under control and officials are ventilating the building. The FAA is investigating the cause of the fire. It was the second time since May that a fire at one of the Chicago area’s major control facilities prompted a ground stop at O’Hare and Midway international airports.
