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ROCKTON, Illinois – Emergency crews remain at the site of a massive fire at a chemical plant in Rockton, Illinois.
The fire started at about 7 a.m. Monday at Chemtool Incorporated, located at 1165 Prairie Hill Road. The company manufactures fluids, lubricants and grease products that are distributed worldwide.
According to WTVO, nearly 70 employees have been evacuated and unharmed. Rockton Fire Chief Kirk Wilson said one firefighter was treated for his injury.
After reports that plumes of smoke were so large that they were picked up on weather radar, the Rockton Police Department at 8:46 a.m., issued an alert, warning that fire officials had ordered a mandatory evacuation near the plant. She asked people to vacate homes and businesses and wait for more instructions.
Wilson said that “at this point and time there is no risk to ground-level air quality,” but that due to massive plumes of smoke, officials ordered evacuation as a precaution.
“We don’t want an environmental nightmare to happen,” he said.
Trisha Didoch, Rockton’s director of planning and development, said she estimates that about 1,000 people have been affected by the evacuation order and the downtown area, which is about a mile from the plant, will be evacuated. She said it was about a radius of one mile (1.6 kilometres).
Rockton Middle School, at 6121 Elevator Rd, was established as an evacuation site.
The fire chief also said it could take several days for the oil-based fires to burn out.
Chemtool released a statement saying:
We have ensured that everything on the site is safe and accountable. What matters to us now is the safety of all our employees and the surrounding community. As a precaution, authorities evacuated residents within a one-mile radius of the site.
We do not yet know the cause of this incident, but we will work with the local authorities and our risk management team to determine what happened and identify any corrective actions. We will share more details as they are known.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said his office has been monitoring the situation in Rockton, adding: “My thoughts are with the first responders fighting this fire and all affected. If you’re in the area, please follow local law enforcement instructions to stay safe.”
I am monitoring the tragic situation in Rockton this morning and will make sure every government resource is available to respond.
We have already deployed ReadyIllinois, ILStatePolice, and IL_Natl_Guard +ILEPA to assist equipment such as air quality monitors for column assessment.
– Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) June 14, 2021
A plume of massive dark smoke spread between the south and southeast of the flames, sending ash and debris falling on residents as far south as DeKalb.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency investigators from Chicago have been to the scene and will issue a statement later Monday, spokeswoman Rachel Basler said. spokeswoman Kim Biggs said they were coordinating with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which was also sending a team.
Rockton is located in Winnebago County, near the Wisconsin border, about 95 miles 153 kilometers) northwest of Chicago.
This is an evolving story. Check back for details.
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