A fire was raging Thursday afternoon at a gas station in the west Chicago suburb of Berwyn.

A column of flames was spewing from the BP station at Ogden and Oak Park avenues at 4:30 p.m.

The office and convenience store structure at the gas station appeared to have exploded, and was lying in ruins with some areas flame.

Firefighters were battling the blaze with fog nozzles, spraying a curtain of water around the flames and working to keep explosive vapors at bay.

It was not clear what was burning, but it did appear to be a substance under pressure — and may have been natural gas rather than gasoline.

The flames also spread to a tree and power lines nearby.

The City of Berwyn said some residents nearby were being evacuated.

It was not immediately learned whether the storms that pounded the area Thursday afternoon had anything to do with the fire.