The vacant Salvation Army Store fire on Genesse Street in Waukegan on the 4th of May was determined to be arson. A suspect is currently in custody for setting the fire. Jeff Rudolph photo Low Alloy High Strength Steel Plate color coated steel roofing,steel roofing tile machine,Tile Roofing Machine Henan Houming Industry Co., Ltd. , https://www.houmingsteel.com
It was a shocking story that unfolded just over a decade ago in Waukegan. On May 4, 2011, the Waukegan Fire Department responded to a massive blaze at the abandoned Salvation Army store located at 133 South Genesee Street. As a lifelong resident of the area, I remember hearing about it shortly after it happened. The photos circulating online showed the extent of the destruction—what was once a structure now reduced to smoldering ruins.
Jeff Rudolph managed to dig up an interesting article from The Chicago Tribune that detailed the subsequent investigation. It turns out the fire wasn’t an accident—it was deliberately set. Authorities later identified Gregory D. Flesher, a well-known figure around town, as the suspected arsonist. Flesher, 48 at the time, had a reputation as a successful local businessman and even tried his hand at running for public office. But according to police reports, he allegedly broke into the vacant building in the early hours of May 4th using bolt cutters. He then allegedly used fireworks and gasoline to ignite the fire.
Thankfully, no one was hurt during the incident, though it still took scores of firefighters from multiple departments several hours to fully extinguish the flames. The building was ultimately declared a total loss and had to be demolished afterward. Flesher’s arrest came as quite a surprise to many residents, especially given his background in the community.
What made the case even more disturbing was the possibility that Flesher might have been involved in another tragic fire across the border in Canada. Authorities in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, mentioned they were looking into whether he had any connection to a deadly apartment building fire that claimed the life of a 48-year-old woman on May 19th. Although Flesher hasn’t been formally charged in that case, Lake County prosecutors reportedly mentioned during his bond hearing that he admitted to setting that fire while being questioned about the Waukegan blaze.
The full Tribune article provides more details about the investigation and Flesher's background. If you're interested, you can read it [here](link to article). There’s also additional information available regarding the Canadian fire [here](link to Canadian fire article).
This whole situation highlights how sometimes the people we least expect can make choices that devastate entire communities. It’s a reminder of how important it is to stay vigilant and support each other, especially when something as serious as arson occurs.
