Fire erupts at Gurnee propane plant

GURNEE, Ill. (AP) - A fire at a northern Illinois propane gas business forced the evacuation of the area around the facility and attracted crews from 30 suburban Chicago fire departments before being extinguished.

Authorities say no injuries resulted from Thursday's fire at the Pinnacle Propane plant.

Gurnee Deputy Police Chief Willie Meyer says initial calls to the department's emergency number came from people who thought exploding propane tanks were gunshots.

Area residents and workers were ordered to leave by Gurnee police as a safety measure.

Firefighters from Libertyville, Round Lake and Waukegan were among those fighting the fire.

A Pinnacle Propane spokesman said in a statement that an investigation is being conducted to determine the cause of the incident, and "to mitigate the risk of any future incidents."

Gurnee is located near the Wisconsin border, about 40 miles north of Chicago.