More Than 50 Cars Burned in Elgin Salvage Yard Fire

ELGIN, Ill. — A massive fire early Sunday morning destroyed at least 50 vehicles, and possibly as many as 75, at a Copart auto salvage yard in Elgin, the Elgin Fire Department reported.

Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the Copart facility on 1475 Bluff City Boulevard at approximately 4:35 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 6, according to Assistant Fire Chief Chris Kennedy. The initial 911 call came in as a brushfire off Gifford Road, not far from the salvage yard. When crews arrived and found rows of vehicles fully engulfed in flames, the call was upgraded and additional help was requested.

Firefighters from the Pingree Grove, South Elgin, Fox River, and Bartlett fire protection districts responded to assist with the incident. The Pingree Grove and Countryside Fire Protection District said it arrived on scene at approximately 5:17 a.m.

Crews worked for more than 3.5 hours to contain and extinguish the fire. No injuries were reported, and officials said the gates to the property were locked when firefighters arrived, indicating no one was inside the facility at the time.

As of Tuesday afternoon, a damage estimate was not available. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Arson not suspected

Assistant Fire Chief Chris Kennedy said arson is not believed to be a factor in the blaze. Firefighters noted that it is not uncommon for vehicles stored in salvage yards to catch fire, particularly due to battery-related issues.

Copart is a nationwide vehicle auction and salvage yard that purchases accident-damaged, flood-damaged, and totaled vehicles from insurance companies. The Elgin facility on Bluff City Boulevard has been in operation for several years.

The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. The Elgin Fire Department did not provide an updated timeline for when a cause may be determined.