MASSIVE FIRE ERUPTS AT CHEMICAL FACTORY IN ROCKTON, ILLINOIS CHEMICAL FACTORY
" A Fire Which Broke Out This Morning In A Chemical Factory Will Take Days To Burn Down."
ROCKTON, Ill.- Emergency crews remain on the scene of a massive fire at Chemical Plant in Rockton, Illinois.
The Fire Broke out around 7:00 a.m. Monday, June 14, 2021, at Chemtool Incorporated which is located at 1165 Prairie Road. The Company manufactures fluids, lubricants, and grease products which are distributed worldwide.
As first reported by WGN9, approximately 70 employees were safely evacuated and were uninjured. Rockton Fire Chief Kirk Wilson reported the one Firefighter was injured and treated for injuries.
Following reports, the plumes of smoke were so immense, they were picked up on weather radar, The Rockton Police Department at 8:46 a.m. posted an alert, warning that Fire Officials had ordered a mandatory evacuation in the area around the plant. It told people to evacuate homes and businesses, and to await further instructions.
Chief Wilson said " at this point and time there is no danger to air quality at ground level " but given the enormous plumes of smoke, Officials ordered the evacuation as a precautionary measure. " We don't want to have an environmental nightmare to occur," he said.
Trisha Diduch, The Planning and Development Administrator for Rockton, said she estimates that about one-thousand people are affected by the evacuation order in the downtown area, which is just a mile from the plant, has been evacuated. The order is for a one-mile radius. The Rockton Middle School, at 6121 Elevator Road, has been set up as the evacuation site.
Chemtool Officials have released a statement to the public, saying:
" We have confirmed on site are safe and accounted for. Our concerns right now are for the safety of all our employees and the surrounding community. As a precaution, authorities have evacuated residents in a one-mile radius of the site."
" We do not yet know what caused this incident, but we will be working with local authorities and with our risk management team to determine what happened and identify any corrective actions. We will share more details as they are known."
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said his Office was monitoring the situation in Rockton, adding " My thoughts are with the first responders fighting this blaze and all impacted."
FILED UNDER JUNE 14, 2021: NATIONAL, ILLINOIS: