Employees at a forklift parts manufacturing facility in Grayslake safely evacuated after a ventilation system caught on fire Monday afternoon.
The Grayslake Police Department, Grayslake Fire Protection District, Fox Lake Fire Protection District and Greater Round Lake Fire Protection District responded around 12:30 p.m. Monday to TVH, 95 South Barron Boulevard in Grayslake, for a report of a structure fire.
TVH, which has many locations worldwide, specializes in manufacturing parts for forklifts.
Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the rear of the manufacturing building, Grayslake Fire Protection District Lt. Robert Danesi said at the scene.
Crews entered the building and found a ventilation filtration system above a grinding machine that was on fire.
They quickly brought the fire under control within 30 minutes.
Danesi said firefighters had to stretch hose lines deep inside the building due to the location of the fire.
A nearby fire hydrant along Barron Boulevard was used to establish a water supply.
Crews encountered low visibility due to the heavy smoke inside the building.
“It took a while to ventilate the structure,” Danesi said.
The employees of the business were able to evacuate safely into nearby parking lots.
No one was injured, Danesi said.
The employees later re-entered the facility around 1:45 p.m. after the fire was extinguished and additional hazards were not found.
A damage estimate or exact cause of the fire was not immediately available as the fire remains under investigation.
Danesi credited firefighters for their quick actions and was glad no one was injured.
“Our crews did really good, without any injuries, so that’s a success,” Danesi said.
The Grayslake Fire Protection District thanked businesses for adopting fire safe practices that keep employees safe.