Officials Say Illinois Chemical Plant Fire Could Last Days, Disaster Proclamation Issued

Officials in Winnebago County in Illinois have issued a disaster proclamation as a chemical plant fire continues to burn in the area.

The Chemtool lubricant production plant, located at 1165 Prairie Hill Road in Rockton, Illinois, caught fire at around 7 a.m. Monday. When firefighters arrived, the blaze had already made its way through the roof.

"At this point in time the building is pretty much consumed, we're thinking that this is going to be a several-day event to have all this product burned off," Rockton Fire Protection District Chief Kirk Wilson said in a news conference Monday. "And that's the best thing that we can do right now."

It is unclear what caused the explosion at the chemical plant, and the matter is under investigation.

Emergency crews have stopped using water to fight the flames in order to prevent an "environmental nightmare" of product runoff into the nearby Rock River.

"We are reliant on our groundwater in this community and keeping that safe is of utmost importance to us," Sandra Martell, the public health administrator for Winnebago County, said during the press conference.

A disaster proclamation has been issued by Winnebago County Board Chairman Joe Chiarelli. The proclamation is in effect from June 14 to June 21, unless the county board decides to extend it.

Chairelli told Newsweek that the proclamation was issued "to ensure the efficient delivery of all necessary personnel and supplies in order to quickly curb any negative environmental effects of the fire."

The chairman added, "We are grateful there was no loss of life related to this incident and so appreciative to the eighty-plus regional agencies that aided in responding. Moving forward, when the fire is put out and clean up begins, County leadership will focus ahead on mitigating the economic impact of this loss. We value every business in Winnebago County and will do what we can to assist in rebuilding their operation here."

There were 70 Chemtool employees on site when the fire began, Wilson said Tuesday. The employees evacuated the building before first responders arrived and there were no injuries reported among the staff.

One firefighter sustained what appeared to be minor injuries. The firefighter was able to walk to the ambulance and was taken to an area hospital for treatment, Wilson said.

Residents and businesses within a one-mile radius of the plant were ordered to evacuate on Monday by the Rockton Police Department.

"I understand that many people have questions on when they're going to be able to go home. Right now we don't have that answer," Wilson said. "However, we're continuing monitoring the situation and doing air quality checks, things of that nature, in the surrounding area."

Authorities have also asked residents in a three-mile radius from the Chemtool plant to wear face masks when outdoors due to concerns over airborne particulates. People have also been urged not to pick up waste that falls from the sky, as they don't currently know what the waste contains.

John Kim, the director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, said Monday that the agency is "very concerned" about the displaced families and employees, their health and the aftermath of the explosion at the facility.

"We're going to take every precaution that we can to err on the side of being overly protective, and make sure that we are doing all the right things for the citizens of this area," Kim added.

Update (6/15/2021, 5:00 p.m. ET): This story has been updated to include comment from Winnebago County Board Chairman Joe Chiarelli.