Joliet firefighters at the scene of a fire at an old commercial building on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at the corner of South Eastern Avenue and Washington Street in Joliet. (Felix Sarver)Joliet firefighters took several hours fighting a fire at a commercial building on the corner of Eastern Avenue and Washington Street near downtown Joliet. Joliet firefighters at the scene of a fire at an old commercial building on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at the corner of South Eastern Avenue and Washington Street in Joliet. Joliet firefighters at the scene of a fire at an old commercial building on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, at the corner of South Eastern Avenue and Washington Street in Joliet. [ PHOTOS: Building fire downtown Joliet ]“We began a defensive operation over the next five hours flowing water into the building.