Fire Crews Battle Blaze At Elgin Water Treatment Plant

ELGIN, IL — No one was injured when a fire broke out at a building that houses “large quantities of chemicals” at Elgin’s water treatment facility on Friday, fire officials said. The fire caused the fire suppression system to activate and alarm to sound, alerting the two water treatment employees in the building to the blaze. They were able to evacuate and were not harmed, fire officials said.

The alarm was upgraded to include Hazardous Materials technicians from both Elgin and South Elgin to help determine the extent of the hazards involved, according to the news release.

Firefighters entered the building at 375 South River Road to find the fire was extinguished and there “was minimal chemical involvement,” according to the news release. Fire officials said “all precautions were taken to protect the public.”

There were no injuries to civilians or emergency response personnel.

The initial investigation into the cause of the fire indicates an electrical motor may have failed and overheated causing the blaze.

There was no impact on the cuty’s ability to maintain water treatment operations during the blaze.

PHOTO VIA SHUTTERSTOCK