Firefighters from numerous departments were dispatched to battle a large fire at the site of the former Balmoral Park racetrack in Crete Township.
According to Crete police, the fire departments were called to battle the blaze on Sunday morning, with flames seen shooting out of the roof of the shuttered track.
Police are warning the public in the area to expect smoke and haze over the village of Crete, and officers have closed Route 1 between Crete-Monee Road and Elms Court Lane to allow for the movement of equipment and vehicles.
Residents are being urged to avoid the area.
Balmoral Park was once one of the most popular horse racing facilities in the state, but closed its doors in 2015. It briefly reopened later that decade, but permanently closed a few years later.
There is no information on the cause of the fire, and firefighters remain on the scene Sunday.
