Dryer causes Island Lake bowling alley fire
Wauconda Fire District officials are blaming chemicals on unwashed material for a fire that started in a dryer at an Island Lake bowling alley Saturday.
Battalion Chief Scott Schrayer said firefighters were called to 3-D Bowl and Sideouts Restaurant at 4018 Roberts Road at 1:45 p.m. Saturday for report of a smoke detector being triggered. Firefighters encountered heavy smoke in the rear of the building and a small fire in a standard household-type dryer the bowling alley owners use for drying various materials.
It is believed someone put items in the dryer that had been doused with a cleaning chemical and not properly washed first. Schrayer believes the heat from the dryer ignited the chemicals, which caused the fire.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze and removed the dryer from the building. The dryer was a total loss, Schrayer said.
No injuries were reported. The building was ventilated to remove the smoke and allowed to reopen, Schrayer said.
A total of 13 firefighters and four units responded to the fire. Firefighters cleared the scene at 2:40 p.m.