Fire destroys Salem business

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The smoldering remains of the Salem Body Shop are seen in this photo Wednesday morning. A fire, first reported at 6:27 a.m., destroyed the building. (Austin Kaus/Republic)

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SALEM — An early morning fire Wednesday in Salem destroyed an automobile-repair business and released smoke that caused authorities to briefly consider evacuating nearby structures.

Brad Stiefvater, McCook County emergency management director, said a fire at the Salem Body Shop at 580 N. Green Ave. was reported by a neighbor at 6:27 a.m.

By the time firefighters arrived, the building was engulfed in flames, due in part to the number of chemicals contained within the structure.

Those chemicals led to fears of the smoke being carried to homes by a northwest wind. Stiefvater said evacuation was briefly considered, but the smoke went high enough that residents were not believed to be in danger.

“Anytime you have chemicals burning downwind (and) going all the way through town, it can be kind of bad,” he said. “The plume went over town, but it was high enough so that we didn’t have to evacuate anybody.”

“That was a good thing,” he added.

The shop, however, was destroyed by the fire. Stiefvater estimated the fire caused approximately $175,000 in damage.

He said no one was in the building at the time of the fire.

By 11 a.m., most of the building was in ruins. The east side of the business was left with only one standing wall as smoke rolled into the sky. A shop area on the business’ southwest corner had collapsed, and the only portion standing was without a roof.

Stiefvater said the shop was owned by Chad Krempges, of Salem. Krempges was not immediately available for comment.

Forty-five firefighters from Salem, Montrose and Spencer responded to the fire and spent an hour and a half fighting the blaze.

“It was badly engulfed by the time the mutual aid units got there,” Stiefvater said. “With all the flammables in the body shop, it went fast.”

A fire investigator was on the scene as the fire smoldered late Wednesday morning. Stiefvater did not believe foul play was suspected.

“It’s an accidental fire of some kind,” Stiefvater said.

He estimated the business has been in Salem for 40 years.

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