Firefighters respond to barge explosion in Lemont

No one was injured Monday when a barge exploded in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in southwest suburban Lemont.

The Lemont Fire Protection District responded to a call of an explosion on a barge about 9:35 a.m. in the canal along Canal Bank Road, according to Fire Chief Frank Jareczek.

They arrived and found a barge with extensive damage and a small fire burning inside, Jareczek said in an email.

U.S. Coast Guard

Firefighters allowed the fire to burn itself out, he said. The barge was empty, but had been carrying acetone and was due to be cleaned, according to Jareczek. He said the cause of the fire is under investigation.

There were no impacts to the navigation channel of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, and regular shipping traffic continued without incident, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.