(LEMONT, Ill.) — A barge that was being cleaned caught fire Monday on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in Lemont, leading to an explosion but causing no injuries, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The barge caught fire at about 9:40 a.m. as it was being cleaned of a product later identified as acetone, said Chief Frank Jareczek of the Lemont Fire Protection District. While the barge was being ventilated, an explosion occurred, he said.
Jareczek said the fire and explosion caused extensive damage, he said. A financial estimate of the damage wasn’t immediately available and Jareczek said he did not know the name of the vessel or the company that owns it.
He said the cause of the fire remained under investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard also will investigate, a spokeswoman said.
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