Fire Destroys Arlington Park; Horses Not Hurt

Arlington Park race track in Arlington Heights, Ill., was destroyed Wednesday by a fast-moving fire that began in the track’s Post and Paddock Club at about 2:15 a.m. and spread to the grandstand. Fire Department Capt. John Leligdon reported that two firefighters suffered slight injuries but that about 1,900 horses quartered at the track in a stable area several hundred yards from the grandstand were never in danger and did not have to be evacuated.

Twenty-four fire companies, totaling 160 men and 40 pieces of equipment, from the northwest suburbs of Chicago responded to calls. The blaze was elevated to a nine-alarm fire by mid-morning, and, by early afternoon, firefighters were pulled back from the grandstand for fear the structure would collapse.

Authorities have no clues as the cause of the fire at the 58-year-old track.

Joseph F. Joyce, Arlington’s chief executive officer, said at an afternoon news conference that he would meet today with Tom Carey, president and part owner of Hawthorne Race Course, who had offered Arlington officials use of the Hawthorne facility to complete the Arlington meet. Wednesday would have been the 66th day of the current 120-day meeting at Arlington.

Joyce said the major concern was the scheduled Aug. 25 running of the fourth Budweiser Million at Arlington. Track officials canceled plans to announce today the starting field of 14 horses and 10 also-eligibles for the race.