Daily Herald opinion: A day to remember: 40 years ago, Arlington Park fire reduced track to ruins — before a remarkable rebirth

Anyone new to the area might have a hard time grasping what Arlington Park once meant to the Northwest suburbs. And surely, they could not imagine the impact the 1985 fire had on local officials, owners, employees, fans and even those who only occasionally entered its gates.

As our Chris Placek recalled in his story this week, Thursday marked the 40th anniversary of that devastating fire, which engulfed the grandstand and left the site in ruins.

The 1985 fire marked a pivotal chapter in Arlington’s storied history. To those who watched the flames and massive plumes of smoke, including the Daily Herald reporters and photographers on site that day, it is impossible to forget.

The fire broke out in the racetrack’s Horseman’s Lounge during the early morning hours of July 31, 1985. Hundreds of firefighters rushed to the site, at one time pouring more than 4,000 gallons of water a minute onto its flames.

Bobby Belpedio, Arlington’s longtime clocker, arrived to work about 4:30 a.m. that morning to find firefighters on the scene. Hopes that the fire could be contained before hitting the grandstand quickly faded.

“Every time they put a spot out in the grandstand, it would pop up somewhere else. It just got out of hand. It was a horrible sight to see,” Belpedio told Placek. “It was just so heartbreaking.”

No humans or horses were hurt that day, something to be thankful for as track officials surveyed what was left in the aftermath. About 7,000 tons of melted, blackened steel would be hauled from the site in the weeks that followed. Yet, one month later, with temporary tents and wooden bleachers, racing returned to the oval in an event dubbed the Miracle Million.

Arlington Park would rise once more in a bold rebirth just four years after the fire, only to be shuttered by later owner Churchill Downs in 2021. The Chicago Bears bought the 326-acre site, finalizing the purchase in early 2023 and demolishing the grandstand later that year on the way to possibly building a stadium there.

For many, the start of racing season in Arlington Heights each year was a sure sign of summer. Some fans were regulars. Others visited as a special treat, enjoying an afternoon in the beautiful surroundings and the chance to watch the races.

If Arlington Park had held on a little longer, it would have celebrated its centennial in 2027. The final race in 2021 marked the end of an era.

We get a bit nostalgic when passing the intersection of Euclid Avenue and Wilke Road in Arlington Heights. Placek’s story — filled with the voices of those deeply affected by it — reminds us why.

Arlington Park held a cherished place in suburban history. The fire took its structures down, but then-owner Dick Duchossois rebuilt what was lost into a six-story grandstand that would draw fans for decades to come.

One day, we will see growth again on that empty field. The beginnings of a Bears stadium, perhaps.

When that happens, or another development takes hold, we hope that those involved honor the site’s remarkable history.