On Tuesday evening, around 6:45 PM, the Gurnee Fire Department responded to reports of smoke coming from the Vista Hotel on Grand Avenue at 6161 W. Grand Avenue. The hotel, which had previously operated as a Holiday Inn, was closed and undergoing renovation to reopen in the near future. When firefighters arrived, heavy smoke and visible flames were already emerging from the ballroom section of the building. The ballroom was separated from the guest rooms by a foyer and open lobby area.
Engine 1322 entered through the main entrance to try to prevent the fire from spreading into the adjacent areas, but they encountered intense heat and heavy fire fueled by stored furniture in the ballroom. Due to the challenging conditions, crews switched to a defensive strategy.
Within 15 minutes of the initial call, the alarm was upgraded to a MABAS Box Alarm, followed by a second alarm shortly after. About 45 minutes into the incident, the situation escalated further, and the alarm was raised to a fifth alarm. This indicated a significant response effort, with multiple departments mobilizing to the scene.
Two tower ladders, one from Gurnee and another from Round Lake, operated in the 'A' sector in front of the building, while Gurnee Engine 1321 provided support on the side with hand lines and a deck gun. As the sun set, the fire’s intensity increased, and the volume of smoke and flames grew more severe.
The fire remained confined to the ballroom, which was ultimately destroyed, with minor extension into the lobby. A total of 23 fire departments from across Lake County and beyond responded, including units from Round Lake, Antioch, Fox Lake, Mundelein, Beach Park, Pleasant Prairie (WI), Libertyville, Newport, Zion, Waukegan, Deerfield, Lincolnshire-Riverwoods, Lake Zurich, Spring Grove, Long Grove, Countryside, Great Lakes, Lake Forest, Lake Villa, Buffalo Grove, Grayslake, Highland Park, Wauconda, along with the MABAS Division 5 Air Unit and the MESS Canteen.
Firefighters worked tirelessly to bring the fire under control, using a large excavator to knock down walls and sift through the rubble. After the bulk of the fire was extinguished, crews continued to douse the remaining hot spots.
Larry Shapiro and Tim Olk were on the scene, capturing several images of the event. Larry has a comprehensive gallery available HERE, while Tim is building his collection HERE. Larry also plans to post a video once he gets some rest.
Additional photos show Antioch Engine 2121 positioned in front of the building with a light tower, and Fox Lake Squad 2251 setting up in the parking lot to provide illumination and assist with air bottle refills.
For more information, you can read a brief article about the incident HERE, HERE, and HERE.
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