1,000 homes evacuated after pounds of lithium batteries explode in old Illinois paper mill–
Toxic fumes spewed into the air.
The following written content by Asha C. Gilbert
A raging industrial fire at an old paper mill in Illinois prompted at least 1,000 home evacuations as toxic fumes spewed into the air.
For the second day, clouds of smoke filled the air in Morris as 180,000 to 200,000 pounds of lithium batteries continued to explode.
“The biggest hazard we have is the smoke and fumes as well as the gas from the fire. Highly poisonous and very deadly,” Chief Tracey Steffes, with the Morris Fire Protection & Ambulance District, told ABC 7 Chicago.
The fire started before 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday at the old Federal Paper Board building where batteries ranging in size from cell phones to larger than car batteries were located.
“As they get wet, they short out and they ignite and explode. That is the problem we are having,” Steffes told ABC 7 Chicago.
Crews and city officials were unaware of the batteries when firefighters responded and were told to wait for the blaze to go out on its own due to the fear of igniting more batteries with water.
The fire and hazardous smoke led the Grundy County Emergency Management Agency to issue an order for those living in the immediate vicinity to evacuate.
Alex Brachle told ABC 7 Chicago he was at home when officials came to his door and told him to get out.
“I do not know how you just store that many batteries and have no one know about it,” he said.
The mandatory evacuation was expected to end on Wednesday at 9 p.m. depending on conditions. The fire also was expected to come under control Wednesday. No injuries have been reported.
“We are going to be here for the long haul,” Steffes told ABC 7 Chicago.
The fire comes two weeks after an explosion at a chemical plant near Rockton, an Illinois community along the Wisconsin border, forced an evacuation from hundreds of homes for several days.
“One good thing about the Rockton fire is there’s been some resources very close to us, that would not have been here if the Rockton fire hadn’t happened,” Steffes said. Read more from USA Today.
