Elgin liquor store catches fire

Fire ripped through a liquor store on Elgin’s east side Tuesday night, destroying the roof and most of the walls.

At 11:23 p.m., the Elgin Fire Department responded to a report from a pedestrian that smoke was coming from the roof at 2J’s Wine & Spirits in the 900 block of East Chicago Street.

Firefighters found heavy smoke and fire coming from the roof and summoned other departments for aid. Assistance came from Bartlett, South Elgin, Pingree Grove, West Dundee, Algonquin and the Rutland-Dundee Fire Protection District.

The fire was so dangerous that personnel never went inside, said Cmdr. Glenn Theriault, a spokesman for the Elgin Police Department who was on the scene.

They instead sprayed it from the outside, he said.

The fire, which started in the basement, was under control by 12:35 a.m. and did not spread to other buildings, officials said.

Battalion Chief Tim Michaels said the store was fully stocked and that it had closed for the night before the fire.

Nobody was injured in the fire, which remains under investigation.

The property has since been red-tagged, secured and fencing is around it to protect pedestrians.

“There was significant damage, I would say its borderline, definitely a permanent loss,” Michaels said.

He said it’s too early in the investigation to tell whether the fire was suspicious.