CHICAGO — An explosion and fire at an Andersonville art studio did "significant" damage to "major works," an Edgewater sculptor said.
Chicago Fire officials Confirmed there was a "small explosion" caused by flammable products in the art studio at 1506 W. Balmoral Ave.
"It blew the facade off the building," said Rosario Rosi, who has worked in the private studio for more than 30 years. "It damaged a lot of work in progress."
The explosion sparked a fire on the first floor of the two-story building, but the flames were extinguished, Fire officials said.
There are apartments on the second floor of the building, but no one was injured, according to Fire officials.
The explosion "most likely stemmed" from a gas leak and the losses are "huge," Rosi said.
Rosi had planned to turn the former Charlie Chaplin silent movie theater into a gallery before running out of money for the project in 2014.
The explosion and fire happened near Hamburger Mary's, but the restaurant said it'd be open as usual.
1506 Balmoral small explosion was due to flammable products in art studio No injuries building department requested. Companies returning
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) March 21, 2017
