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Elgin firefighters said there was “limited chemical involvement” after a fire last week at the city’s water treatment facility.

The Elgin Fire Department responded Friday, July 20, to a reported fire at the city of Elgin’s water treatment facility at 375 West River Road.

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Officials said there are several structures on the site, but the fire occurred in the building housing large quantities of chemicals by the water inlet area.

The fire caused the fire suppression system to activate and the alarm to sound. Two water treatment employees in the building were able to evacuate and were unharmed, fire officials said.

The alarm was upgraded to include hazardous materials technicians from Elgin and South Elgin to help determine the extent of the hazards involved.

Firefighters entered the building to discover the fire was extinguished, and there was minimal chemical involvement. “All precautions were taken to protect the public,” the Elgin Fire Department news release said.

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.

There was no impact on the city’s ability to maintain water treatment operations.

SOURCE: Elgin Fire Department news release

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