Elk Grove businesses evacuated after liquid oxygen leak

Seven Elk Grove Village businesses were evacuated Wednesday morning after a small fire caused a tank to leak potentially dangerous liquid oxygen, authorities said.

No one was hurt in the incident, which occurred in the Rogers Industrial Park.

Firefighters were called to Helgett Gas Products, 2709 Coyle Ave., about 9:45 a.m. because of a fire in an electric motor, Elk Grove Village Battalion Chief Robert Stecki said.

Firefighters put the blaze out with a portable extinguisher but then discovered the fire had damaged a valve that was leaking liquid oxygen. Liquid oxygen has industrial and medical uses but is dangerous because it encourages combustion, authorities said.

Authorities evacuated between 25 and 50 people from the area. They found shelter at another business in the area, Stecki said.

With help from an expert, firefighters were able to depressurize the tank by releasing the gas inside in a controlled manner, Stecki said.

That took about 30 minutes. Firefighters from Elk Grove Village and Des Plaines were on the scene for about two hours.