A fire at the North Shore Towing Company yard on Oakton Street forced police to block traffic on the major east-west road between Dodge Avenue and McCormick Boulevard during the afternoon rush hour.
Firefighters used at least three aerial ladder trucks to battle the blaze.
The fire disrupted business for shops in the Home Depot shopping center on Oakton and forced rerouting of CTA buses.
There were no immediate reports of injuries from the fire, or information on the extent of damage or the fire’s cause.