No Injuries Reported In Geneva Factory Explosion: FD

GENEVA, IL — No injuries were reported in the chemical explosion and fire that happened at a factory near Wheeler Park Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

The preliminary cause of the incident remains under investigation. Officials said the damage was limited to a 16-by-16-foot chemical storage building at the rear of the Olon Industries factory, 411 Union St.

The Geneva Fire Department was dispatched at 1:33 p.m. to the facility on Geneva's west side for an activated fire alarm. Once there, facility workers, who had evacuated by that point, informed crews of an explosion in the chemical storage building at the site.

The initial response was upgraded twice, first to a general alarm and then to a first-level fire and hazardous materials alarm, requiring additional personnel and resources, officials said.

Crews brought the released chemicals under control and extinguished the fire by 4:25 p.m. Officials said there is no known hazard to the community.

As a precautionary measure, several surrounding facilities, including the Geneva Township Senior Center, Wheeler Park and the Geneva Park District offices located to the east of Olon were evacuated.

RELATED: Explosion At Factory Near Wheeler Park Forces Precautionary Evacuation

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration have been notified of the incident.

Geneva firefighters were assisted on the scene by crews from Batavia, St. Charles, Elburn, North Aurora, Sugar Grove, Aurora, Montgomery, West Chicago, Fermilab, Sugar Grove, Elgin, Carol Stream, South Elgin, and Bartlett. While at the site, the Winfield, Wheaton, Fox River and Countryside, and Sugar Grove fire departments filled in the Geneva fire stations and responded to other calls in the community, officials said.