Large boat warehouse fire causes 'several million dollars' in damage

Waukegan Fire Department officials say a four-alarm fire Wednesday night at a boat storage warehouse along the city's lakefront likely caused "several million dollars" in damage.

No injuries were reported in the blaze that was reported at about 8 p.m. on the 0-100 block of East Madison Street via an automatic alarm system.

More than 100 firefighters from two states battled the blaze and were hampered by the cold weather and inability to navigate and access parts of the structure.

Several boats caught fire and fire officials said it was difficult to extinguish those fires as well because of the size of the vessels.

The warehouse housed an estimated 60 to 70 boats, fire officials said. It's unknown how many of the boats suffered damage and the extent of the damage to those boats.

The blaze was finally brought under control around 2:30 a.m., but firefighters remain on scene checking for hot spots and performing salvage operations.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.