One person died and 10 others were injured when a machine exploded inside an Arlington Heights building, releasing chemical fumes, officials said.
Fire officials said the fumes posed no danger to nearby residents of the 3600 block of North Kennicott Avenue where the building is located. The force of the blast propelled rocks from the roof into a parking lot, damaging 20 cars.
Firefighters received a call about 9 a.m. about the explosion at Arens Controls, a company at 3602 N. Kennicott Ave. that manufactures and tests electrical parts, according to Arlington Heights Fire Chief Glenn Ericksen.
The explosion occurred in a machine in an area where parts are tested. The machine used a diluted form of potassium hydroxide, a chemical that can ignite combustible materials if mixed with water or other substances, Ericksen said. The fire chief said it wasn't clear if the chemical had anything to do with setting off the explosion.
"There had been a violent explosion," Ericksen said. "A lot of twisted metal and devastation. The roof buckled where the explosion occurred."
There was a small fire after the explosion but it was easily put out, he said.
Police officers arriving at the building found the room filled with smoke, Ericksen said. They also found one Arens employee who had died in the blast, he said. The man's name was not being released pending notification of his family.
Ten people -- seven Arens employees and three police officers -- were sent to two hospitals with injuries that did not appear life-threatening, officials said.
Some of those hurt suffered concussions from the explosion as well as smoke-related injuries. Some reported chest pains and hearing loss, according to Arlington Heights Fire Chief Glenn Ericksen.
About 50 employees were evacuated, and the building will be closed for the rest of the day, Ericksen said.
Arens officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
Janet Lee said she lives about two blocks away and heard a large explosion at about 8:30 a.m. She said her husband was outside walking and at first thought he slammed a car door shut.
She said there is construction going on in the area and thought the explosion might have been caused by earth moving equipment.
"We just heard a boom," said Lee. "I was in the house and I heard an odd sounding boom. I went, 'Wait a minute, he didn't take the car.' "
She said when she saw the streets closed off in the area and the ambulances, she realized it must have been a blast of some sort.
Bob Lee, 59, a car dealership manager who lives nearby, said he was taking his daily walk and was about a block from the building when he heard a loud boom.
"I thought it was a car backfiring," he said.
He watched police cars and fire vehicles swarm the building, he said, and saw about 10 people taken out. They looked shaken, Lee said, but he did not see any blood or other overt signs of injury.
Copyright 2012 - Chicago Tribune
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
