Hazardous Industrial Fire in Chicago Forces Emergency Evacuations as Nearly 100 Tons of Lithium Batteries Are Involved

Massive Industrial Fire in Chicago Prompts Evacuations as Nearly 100 Tons of Lithium Batteries Are Involved — Explosion At Rockton Chemtool Plant Causes Massive Chemical Fire ROCKTON, ILLINOIS - JUNE 14: Firefighters from northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin fill their tanker trucks with river water as they continue a day-long battle to extinguish the industrial fire at Chemtool Inc. on June 14, 2021 in Rockton, Illinois. The chemical fire at the plant, which produces lubricants, grease products and other industrial fluids, has prompted local evacuations. (not the actual story) Scott Olson/Getty Images

Authorities reported a massive fire at an industrial site that houses hazardous materials. The emergency prompted evacuations in the Chicago suburbs on Tuesday afternoon.

The Grundy County Emergency Management Agency advised residents on several blocks around 900 Benton St. in Morris, Illinois, to immediately leave their houses. Based on the initial reports, the facility contained lithium batteries.

Industrial fire classified as severe and hazardous

According to the notice, the fire was described as severe and that it posed a significant hazard to life and property. Gray smoke billowed from a structure that could hardly be seen through the haze on helicopter video of the area.

There were no reported casualties as a result of the fire at a partitioned warehouse in Morris that used to be a paper mill, according to Nick Doefler, a spokesperson for the agencies responding to the incident. At around 12 p.m., the fire broke out.

He claimed firemen on the scene were waiting for orders on how to put out the fire, explaining that they couldn't put it out with water since the batteries were inside.

"You can't spray water on it, it's an explosive hazard. We are waiting for additional resources to figure out how to fight it," the spokesperson said, as per The Chicago Tribune.

Morris is located around 68 miles southwest of Chicago. According to Doefler, the order was issued due to concerns about the consequences of inhaling the fire's smoke. He didn't know how many individuals were affected by the evacuation order right away. The cause of the fire has yet to be identified, he noted.

The evacuation comes two weeks after an explosion and large fire at a chemical factory near Rockton, Illinois, near the Wisconsin border, forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes for several days as the fire raged. The June 13 fire, which was sparked inadvertently during maintenance operations according to the investigators, hurt no one at the facility or in the surrounding community.

The fire caused by Lithium batteries can't be put out by water

According to Newsweek through MSN, Doerfler claimed big commercial batteries were inside a facility that used to be a paper mill, and approximately 40 residences had already been evacuated. Those in need of a place to stay were directed to the Grundy County Administration Building at 1320 Union St., which is being used as a reception center.

Fire personnel is seeking as many foam units as possible to put out the fire, according to Northern Illinois Scanner Incidents (NISI) on social media. Water cannot be used to put out battery fires. The incident was assigned to the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) Foam Task Force.

Breanna Konczal, a 23-year-old nursing student who lives a block away from the danger, described the smoke as smelling like "a bunch of chemicals." She told NBC News, "It smelled very terrible. I was only outside for probably about five minutes and it gave me a headache and it made my throat a little sore." Konczal packed up her cat, two dogs, and kid and drove to her in-laws in Coal City, approximately 25 minutes away.