Palatine firefighter/paramedics and police responded at 3:28 p.m. Friday to a report of an explosion at BM Craft Inc., 542 W. Colfax St., Suite 2. The caller told the dispatcher that the building shook and smoke was starting to come out of the building. The caller also stated that nobody was in the occupancy where the explosion occurred. The first Palatine Fire Department crew arrived on the scene in four minutes and reported that smoke was issuing from the building, which is located just west of the U.S. Post Office. Firefighters had to force their way into the building through the locked main entrance door. They reported that the smoke was so heavy inside the building that they had to use a thermal imaging camera to find the fire. Firefighters utilized a 1-¾ inch pre-connected hose line to bring the fire under control in 9 minutes.
Fire Department crews searched the building and verified that there was nobody there. There were no injuries reported due to the explosion, or to firefighters working on the scene.
Twenty-four members of the Palatine Fire Department along with personnel from the Rolling Meadows Fire Department responded to the scene. Damage was estimated at $20,000.
The cause of the explosion is currently under investigation.
The Palatine Fire Department reminds residents that they should always stay aware of the location of emergency exits wherever they are. There is no way to predict when one will be needed.
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