Amazon employees evacuate after fire breaks out near Illinois fulfillment center

Employees at an Amazon fulfillment center in Markham, Illinois, were evacuated after a fire broke out near the massive facility Thursday morning.

An employee at the facility told FOX 32 Chicago she observed that the building smelled of smoke. 

When FOX 32 Chicago first arrived at the scene in the 2200 block of West 159th Street, dozens of people were outside, but the local station reported around 8:40 a.m. local time that employees appeared to have gone back inside the building. 

Emergency vehicles, including a fire truck, were still present at that time, although no ambulances had been there.

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The fulfillment center employs thousands of people, and a lot of cars were still seen in the parking lot. Local reports say the facility opened in October 2021. 

Fire officials have not yet provided any additional information, and have already left the scene.

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After initial reports that the fire was at the facility itself, Amazon told FOX Business in an email that employees were evacuated "out of an abundance of caution," and that they resumed operations about an hour after the fire department provided them with the all clear. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: This report has been updated to clarify that the fire broke out near the fulfillment center, according to Amazon.