Fire extinguisher factory left burning for 30 minutes as firefighters could not find water

Crews had no access to privately-owned water sources

The fire burned the factory premises for around 30 minutes before firefighters were able to find enough water (Chicago Fire Department)

Around 150 firefighters had to be called to the scene of a roaring blaze at a factory that makes fire extinguishers.

It took three hours for the crews to get the fire completely under control after the roof had caved in and the riverside structure sustained extensive damage.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire on Thursday is being investigated. Flames started to engulf the building at around 9pm in the Archer Heights neighbourhood of Chicago.

A limited supply of water put a spanner in the works for firefighters as there were not enough hydrants on West 38th Street and the building stood burning for around 30 minutes.

Six fire engines had to be spread out over the span of a mile to be able to pump enough water to battle the inferno. The water supply was scarce as the sources are privately-owned, according to CBS Chicago.

“We had one engine feed another engine to another engine until we got water on the fire,” said 1st Deputy Fire Commissioner Charles Stewart from the Chicago Fire Department.

The compound, which houses other manufacturing companies, also had a HazMat response unit confirm that the burning chemicals from the extinguishers did not pose a health and safety risk.