1,000 homes evacuated as Illinois paper mill catches fire, pound of lithium batteries explode
An evacuation of at least 1,000 homes was announced after an industrial fire broke out at an old paper mill in Illinois releasing toxic fumes into the air.
Clouds of smoke filled the air in Morris for the second continuous day as 180,000 to 200,000 pounds of lithium batteries continually 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 old Federal Paper Board building reportedly lit ablaze before 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday. The building served as a location for batteries ranging from cell phones to bigger than car batteries.
“As they get wet, they short out and they ignite and explode. That is the problem we are having,” Steffes told ABC 7 Chicago.
When firefighters first responded, crews and the city were unaware of the batteries within the factory. Later on, they were asked to stand by and wait for the fire to die down on its own due to the fear of igniting more batteries with water.
The resultant fire and toxic smoke led to an immediate evacuation being issued by the Grundy County Emergency Management Agency. The compulsory evacuation is to end on Wednesday at 9 p.m. depending on the conditions. The fire is also expected to end on Wednesday. No casualties have been reported so far.
