Illinois’ racing legacy suffered another huge loss when a fire destroyed the grandstand at the former Balmoral Park racetrack in Crete on Sunday.
Firefighters from around the area were called in to fight the blaze that Crete Township officials said started about 6 a.m. Sunday. The Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office is now investigating how the fire started in the racetrack, which has been closed since 2019.
Fire officials said the blaze quickly ripped through the main part and roof of the massive grandstand, which could hold more than 70,000 spectators. Firefighters gave up trying to save the building and went defensive to fight the inferno.
Crete Township Fire Protection District Chief Don Radtke said firefighters had the fire under control by 1:30 p.m. but added that firefighters were on scene for several more hours fighting hot spots.
He said fighting a structure fire like the grandstand was difficult due to its size and shape.
Firefighters came from Crete Township, Crete, South Chicago Heights, Beecher, Monee, Lake Dale, Steger, Chicago Heights, Manhattan, Lansing, St. Anne, Country Club Hills, Park Forest, Bourbonnais, Frankfort, Tinley Park, Thornton and Homer Township in Illinois.
Indiana firefighters hailed from Cedar Lake, Lowell and Munster.
The Lowell Fire Department said in a social media post that it delivered an estimated 12,000 gallons of water to help with fire suppression.
There were no injuries reported among firefighters at the scene.
The Crete Township Plan Commission said the 200-acre property was acquired in 2021 by Balmoral Park 21 LLC, which wanted to use the property to park, store and maintain trucks.
Balmoral opened in 1926 as Lincoln Fields and was home to both harness and thoroughbred racing over the years. It only hosted harness racing after 1991 when the Illinois Racing Board gave its thoroughbred dates to Arlington Racecourse.
Owners over the years included shopping mall magnate Edward DeBartolo Sr., and the family of late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.
The track closed in 2015. It reopened for a short time as a show horse venue before closing for good in 2019.
