Authorities investigate explosion in Hanover Park

Investigators continue to look for a cause in an explosion and fire that heavily damaged three businesses in a Lake Street strip mall in Hanover Park.

Hanover Park Fire Chief Craig Haigh said investigators from the fire and police department, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are trying to piece together what caused the explosion and fire at 2360 Lake St. on Friday night.

No one was injured in the two-alarm fire, which was called into the department at 10:53 p.m., Haigh said. A laundromat, grocery store and restaurant were heavily damaged and are closed.

Haigh confirmed that an explosion occurred, followed by heavy fire and smoke that spread quickly through the adjacent businesses.

"I can tell you for sure we have an explosion," he said, but declined to say where it originated, as the investigation continues. The ATF was called in to assist as soon as the fire was extinguished, he said.

"We know for sure we had an explosion. What I don't know at this point is what caused the explosion," Haigh said. "There are a couple options that we're trying to explore. ... We have been assisted by ATF and we're trying to piece together exactly what took place."

All three businesses were closed at the time of the fire. The five-unit mall also includes a video/music store and a convenience store, which was the only business open at the time of the explosion, officials said. The businesses include the Chi Chi laundromat, the Parrilla Azteca restaurant, the Carniceria Cerritos grocery store, Mande Usted video/game rental, and Convenient Food Mart.

Mayra Muniz, whose mom owns the grocery store, said she and her family live right next door and were awakened by a loud noise.

"We were already in bed. We just heard, like, an explosion. And the house, everything was shaking inside," she said. "Then we looked out of the window and saw glass everywhere in the laundromat."

Mayra, 19, said she and her mom and little brothers got out of the house and then saw smoke starting to come out of the laundromat.

Muniz said her mom, Maria Muniz, has owned the store for 18 years. "She's very upset," Mayra said.

Asked what they will do now, Mayra said, "Right now, we don't really know."

The fire department received several calls about the explosion, including one from a house next door, Haigh said. The people who live there, along with people who were inside the convenience store, had already exited the buildings by the time emergency crews arrived, he said. Firefighters searched the buildings just to make sure no one was inside.

All three of the businesses were heavily damaged, he said. No damage estimate is yet available.

Firefighters from scores of other departments assisted, including Bartlett, Streamwood, Roselle, Elgin, Hoffman Estates and Itasca, Haigh said.

On Saturday evening, Battalion Chief Richard Hish said investigators had returned from the scene and were collecting data and preparing reports. He said he does not expect a complete report for several days.

Hish said the cause remains undetermined.

Asked if the explosion was intentional or not, Hish said, "That's something they're looking into. They're looking into all avenues of it... It's a little premature to say that it's anything that would merit a police investigation. ... We're getting way ahead of things. At this present time, it's undetermined."