Arlington Heights store evacuated due to truck fire

An Arlington Heights shop near the intersection of Rand and Palatine roads was evacuated Wednesday when a truck in the loading dock caught fire, officials said.

Firefighters responded to the back of the Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft, 373 East Palatine Road, at 11:30 a.m. and found a semitrailer engulfed in flames, said Arlington Heights Fire Department Cmdr. Randy Borre.

The truck was filled with clothing when the fire started, making the blaze difficult to extinguish, Borre said.

It took firefighters about 30 minutes to bring the fire under control.

The store was evacuated as a precaution, but a sprinkler in the loading dock prevented flames from spreading inside the store, fire officials said.

The inside of the building received minor smoke damage, and investigators estimated the damage to the semitrailer and its contents at about $50,000.