Small fire fills Palatine store with smoke

A Palatine shoe store filled with smoke Thursday after a small fire spread from behind a refrigerator in a backroom to a nearby table and up a wall, fire officials said.

Palatine firefighters responded to the Payless shoe store at 639 E. Dundee Road at 12:44 p.m. Tuesday and found smoke in the front display area of the shop, according to fire officials.

An employee originally spotted the fire behind the refrigerator and called 911 after a worker at a neighboring business could not put out the flames with a portable extinguisher, officials said.

No customers were in the store when the fire broke out, and both employees evacuated before firefighters arrived.

Firefighters were able to put out the flames with fire extinguishers rather than water, officials said.

The front display area of the store sustained light smoke damage, but the shop should be able to remain open, said Palatine Batallion Chief Bill Gabrenya. The back area of the store sustained moderate to heavy smoke damage and some fire damage, Gabrenya said.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation late Tuesday afternoon.

The Arlington Heights and Long Grove fire departments assisted the Palatine department.