The Lake Station/New Chicago Library could remain closed two to four more months after a small fire July 14, while Lake County Public Library officials await repair estimates, testing samples and the insurance claim process.
Executive director Carol Daumer Gutjahr said Tuesday she didn’t have an exact date for the reopening, just an estimate with many variables. “We’re still waiting for estimates to come back from companies and testing of air samples…” she said.
Patrons have been advised to visit other locations with the library in Hobart being the closest.
“We quickly put the staff at different locations, so nobody lost work time or pay,” she said. With school out, she said summer is the library system’s busiest season so extra help is appreciated.
Lake Station Fire Chief Chuck Fazekas reported the fire broke out when the library’s boiler came on, igniting nearby cardboard boxes and plastic buckets. He said the library’s smoke and heat alarm system notified its maintenance team who called 911.
Fazekas said there was a lot of smoke in the library at 2007 Central Ave. and chemical extinguishers were used to douse the blaze.
A police officer and a library maintenance worker, who helped extinguish the small blaze, were treated for smoke inhalation at a local hospital.
The library is immediately east of Lake Station City Hall, which suffered water damage in June when a pipe in its sprinkler system burst, flooding much of the building.
City Hall is still closed and city officials have brought in trailers to house city workers on-site until repairs are completed. No reopening has been announced.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
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