Heroes of the Week: Dixon and Posen Illinois fire departments Extinguish a Magnesium Factory Blaze

A magnesium factory is considered highly flammable. When it catches fire, it's difficult to extinguish, but that's what this weekend's Dixmoor and Posen, Illinois fire department heroes managed to do. Magnesium readily ignites and burns at a very high temperature, making fires in facilities extremely difficult to extinguish and posing a significant safety risk. Even small sparks or heat sources can potentially trigger a fire in a magnesium processing environment.

(Caption:  A magnesium factory in south suburban Dixmoor was destroyed by fire overnight. Firefighters have extinguished the blaze but remain on scene to make sure it does not reignite. Credit: WGN TV)

Overnight fire destroys building at magnesium factory in south suburban Dixmoor 

by: Michael Johnson, Erik Runge, WGN- TV, Updated: Mar 6, 2025 / 11:19 AM CST

DIXMOOR, Ill. — After an all-night battle, firefighters extinguished a blaze that erupted at a magnesium factory in south suburban Dixmoor late Wednesday night.

Crews had the fire under control by early Thursday morning (March 6, 2025), but not before one of three buildings belonging to the Chicago Magnesium Casting Company in Dixmoor was destroyed. Inside the burning building, fire officials say, were 55-gallon drums of chemicals and magnesium, which is highly flammable and can ignite easily under certain conditions.

(Caption: Dixon and Posen Illinois fire departments fighting a Magnesium Factory Blaze. Credit: WGN-TV) 

“On arrival of the first engine company on the scene, well over half the business was on fire,” Jeff Cook, chief of the neighboring Posen Fire Department, said early Thursday morning. “Companies went right to work on saving the buildings to the north and south, which we did.”

According to its website, the family-run Chicago Magnesium Casting Company was founded in 1953. It’s an aluminum and sand casting foundry, specializing in parts used in the aerospace industry, and holds some government contracts.

The roof of the affected building caved in due to the fire, and firefighters were pouring water on the facility all night long. Skycam 9 was over the building early Thursday morning to get a bird’s-eye view of the damage.

No injuries, however, were reported. Nobody was inside the factory when it caught fire.

(Caption: 1 of 3 buildings were damaged as the Dixon and Posen Illinois fire departments were fighting a Magnesium Factory Blaze. They saved the other buildings Credit: WGN-TV) 

“Magnesium reacts with water, so that makes it a challenge,” Cook said. “We had quite a few different explosions that were happening from that chemical reaction. We were able to contain it, but that was one of the big issues.”

Fire officials have been working with the Environmental Protection Agency, which arrived to the scene and has been monitoring the air to make sure it’s safe for people nearby to breathe. Cook said fire crews were lucky with the wind overnight, so there’s been no need for evacuations thus far.

Officials say it will be a while before it can be determined what caused the fire.