Fire hits Naperville storage company

One firefighter suffered a minor injury while battling a blaze late Thursday night that caused an estimated $25,000 damage at Prager Moving and Storage Company, 155 Fort Hill Drive, Naperville.

The injured firefighter slipped on the ice and was treated at Edward Hospital and released, authorities said Friday.

Firefighters said they arrived at 11:34 p.m. to find heavy smoke and fire visible in the loading dock area at the northwest corner of the building.

Authorities said the blaze ignited when a bulb used to light pathways in the building burst, and either hot glass or filament landed on a pallet of padding used to protect equipment in transit.

Several pallets were destroyed by the flames. In addition, several pallets of electrical equipment were damaged by the fire and the water used to extinguish it.

Firefighters said the building's sprinkler system contained the bulk of the blaze and there was no damage to the structure itself. But John Puscheck, president of Prager, said firefighters deserve a large amount of credit for keeping the blaze and resulting damage under control.

He said security cameras positioned at the fire scene show the department's quick response time and professionalism.

"You never want or expect anything like that to happen, but it's good to know the system works exactly the way it's supposed to," Puscheck said. "I think a lot of times you only hear when things go wrong, but what could have been something major turned out to be something minor thanks to them. These guys do a fantastic job."

No employees were present at the time of the fire and the moving company was back in full operation by Friday morning.