Firefighters respond to barge explosion in Lemont

The barge was empty, but had been carrying acetone and was due to be cleaned, according to officials.

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.

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 in under investigation.

Jareczek said the Coast Guard responded to the scene. A spokesperson for the Coast Guard did not immediately reply to a request for comment.