One airlifted after explosion at St. Charles business

One person was airlifted to a hospital after an explosion Friday morning that caused an estimated $25,000 in damages at a St. Charles business.

The St. Charles Fire Department responded at 10:30 a.m. to a fire alarm at Midwest Powder Coatings, 3865 Swenson Ave. following an explosion in the building, Fire Chief Joe Schelstreet said in a news release.

Firefighters were on the scene within a minute and found a small fire in a mixing vat, part of a powder coating process, in a mezzanine area.

One person was flown by helicopter to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. Other employees evacuated the building after the explosion. There were no injuries to firefighters.

The fire was extinguished in about 30 minutes and there was no structural damage to the building, Schelstreet said. The damage was to machinery and materials.

The explosion remains under investigation but is not considered suspicious, the chief said.