CHICAGO, March 20 (UPI) -- More than 150 Chicago firefighters were called to fight flames at a building housing one of the department's closest allies -- a fire extinguisher factory.

Chicago Fire Department officials said the building in the Archer Heights neighborhood on the southwest side of the city ignited Thursday night and the fire worsened to three alarms about 9:30 p.m., leading to a total 156 firefighters responding with 26 pieces of equipment.


A portion of the building, which firefighters said housed a fire extinguisher manufacturing business, collapsed as a result of the intense fire, the department said.

First Deputy Fire Commissioner Charles Stewart III said the nature of the blaze made it difficult to reach the flames with water.

"We had one engine feed another engine to another engine until we got water on the fire," he told WMAQ-TV.

Firefighters said no injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remained under investigation Friday.