Fire put out at La Salle building under renovation

A fire was extinguished shortly after dusk Wednesday at a two-story building at the corner of First and Hennepin streets in downtown La Salle after black smoke was seen coming from the second floor.

La Salle Fire Cpt. Dale Tieman confirmed the fire, located on the second floor, was extinguished about 7 p.m. Wednesday. Tieman said the extent of the damage was not yet known, nor had firefighters identified a source or cause. The office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal will be brought in for investigation, which is standard procedure.

There were no injuries reported.

Alderman Tom Ptak said the two-story commercial structure was undergoing renovations by a partnership WL Ventures. The building had been undergoing renovations, including Wednesday morning for it to be redeveloped into two first-floor retail spaces and second-story dwellings.

One of the developers, Wes Kostellic, said he was alerted to the fire shortly after it occurred and had no immediate information on damage or a cause.

The structure was not fully-involved, and firefighters from the La Salle, Utica, Oglesby and Peru departments were spotted at the scene.

Firefighters and police halted all traffic on First Street between Route 351 and Hennepin Street.