Fire in Palatine apartment building displaces multiple residents

No injuries were reported after fire broke out Tuesday in a kitchen at a Palatine apartment building, leaving two units uninhabitable and displacing multiple residents, authorities said.

Palatine firefighters called to the building in the 900 block of North Sterling Avenue at 5:02 p.m. Tuesday arrived to find heavy smoke and fire coming from a second-floor apartment of the two-story structure, officials said.

Upon entering the unit, fire crews found that an automatic fire sprinkler system had been activated and extinguished most of the fire and limited damage to the rest of the unit. The fire was declared under control at 5:15 p.m. but firefighters remained on scene to check for hidden fire, ventilate smoke and toxic gases, and perform salvage operations to prevent further damage.

Due to fire, smoke and water damage, the apartment where the fire occurred and the unit below it were deemed uninhabitable, fire officials said.

Investigators have determined the fire started accidentally and was caused by improper storage of combustible material in a broiler.