Cause of Sunday fire at Zion plastics manufacturer remains unknown

Zion fire investigators are trying to determine the cause of a weekend blaze at a plastics manufacturing company on Kenosha Road.

Battalion Chief Mark Klamut said the cause of the three-alarm blaze at 7 a.m. Sunday at Maine Plastics does not seem suspicious. Crews extinguished it at 4 p.m.

“It was strictly a fire that was contained inside the plastics yard, and did not damage the structure itself,” Klamut said. “There is no reason at this time to think the fire was suspicious.”

Firefighters returned to 1817 Kenosha Road multiple times after the blaze was extinguished when additional hot spots sprung up, he said.

It took more than 100 firefighters from four counties more than seven hours to put out the stubborn fire.

He said residents down wind of the fire were told to stay indoors with their windows closed Sunday night because some of the burning plastic went airborne and could cause lung irritation.

“It became hazardous to the extent that it got up in the air,” Klamut said. “We felt it was better that people stay inside with the windows closed. It wasn't good to be down wind.”

Several area fire departments responded including from Palatine, Spring Grove, and Kenosha, Wis.