Fire damages Palatine Park District Community Center

Palatine firefighters are investigating what sparked a fire Wednesday afternoon that damaged the gymnastics area of the Palatine Park District Community Center.

Firefighters responding to an alarm from the center at 12:19 p.m. were met by an employee who reported smoke in the rear gymnastics area of the facility at 250 E. Wood St., officials said.

Crews located a fire in a void space under a utility closet. Firefighters had a difficult time accessing the fire, and had to open interior walls and breach a brick exterior wall to fully expose and extinguish it, according to the Palatine Fire Department.

The fire was under control at 12:35 p.m., although firefighters remained on the scene to ventilate smoke and gases and perform extensive overhaul activities for some time after that, officials said.

No injuries were reported and damage was contained to a corner of the gymnastics area, officials said. Park district employees had ensured the building was evacuated when the fire alarm activated.

Damage estimates were not available Wednesday.

Along with Palatine firefighters, units from the Palatine Rural Fire District and Rolling Meadows Fire Department were among the responders to the scene, while a unit from the Long Grove Fire Department stood by in a Palatine fire station to provide coverage for any additional calls. Palatine police officers assisted with traffic and crowd control.

Park district officials say the Community Center is operating under normal hours, but the gymnastics area is closed. District staff will post additional information as it becomes available to their website, www.palatineparks.org, and Facebook page.