O'Hare was one of the airports affected. Tupungato / Shutterstock.com
Fire at FAA Facility Wreaks Havoc on Chicago Airports
Man suspected of starting the blaze was a contract employee.
A fire at a Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control facility in Aurora, Illinois, has affected thousands of flights coming in and out of Chicago's O'Hare and Midway International Airports, The Chicago Tribune reported on Friday.
Between 15 and 30 employees were evacuated after emergency crews responded to calls from the Aurora FAA facility at around 5:30 a.m local time on Friday morning.
Sources told The Tribune that the man suspected of starting the blaze was found in the basement of the FAA building with a "self-inflicted non-gunshot" wound. Another source described the injuries to CNN as cuts to at least one of the wrists. The man was taken to a local hospital where he is being treated for his injuries.
Aurora Police Chief Greg Thomas said that the fire did not appear to be terrorism.
"There is no terrorist act," Aurora Police Chief Greg Thomas told The Tribune. "This is a local issue with a contract employee and nothing else."
The incident has already caused thousands of flights to be delayed and cancelled. The Tribune reported that by 9:30 a.m. approximately 700 flights coming in and out of Chicago area airports had been cancelled and an estimated 600 more delayed. According to CNN there will likely be thousands more disruptions throughout the day, with ripple effects spreading across the country.
(Image via Tupungato / Shutterstock.com)