Major fire at chemical plant in the USA: –

A large fire has broken out in the chemical plant of the company Chemtool in the city of Rockton in Illinois, after an explosion on Monday local time.

According to local media, the police sent out a warning about the fire at 08.46 in the morning, and it did not take long before it “swallowed the plant”.

– This announcement affects all residents and businesses south of Chemtool on Prairie Hill rd. Traffic is advised to avoid the area. Please evacuate, it was said in the warning from the police.

Around 50 employees evacuated immediately, according to the company. No one was injured, other than one firefighter with minor injuries, Reckton’s fire chief Kirk Wilson said at a press conference later Monday.

Nearly 150 homes have now been evacuated, writes NBC Chicago.

– Can burn for several days

Chemtool produces oil, liquids and lubricants, and according to the company is the largest manufacturer in the field in the US, writes the news agency AP.

Wilson says the plant could “burn for several days.”

– We have stopped using water to extinguish the flames, to avoid an environmental nightmare when it comes to pollution of chemicals in the nearby Rock River. At this point, the plant is more or less engulfed. We think that this will continue for several days until it is finished burning, says the fire chief at a press conference.

He says that around 40 to 45 units from the emergency services moved out to the scene when the alarm went off, of which 150 to 175 people from the fire service in the city and neighboring towns. They have now withdrawn to let the fire unfold. The National Guard has also been requisitioned, he writes CBS Chicago.

– Rained fire remnants over us

According to the AP, the smoke clouds have become so large and powerful that they are caught on weather radar – according to NBC Chicago radar systems operated from space. Wilson says, however, that “there is no danger to air quality at ground level.” They have asked specialists to come and assess the quality.

A total of 1,000 people are estimated to be affected by the incident, including 29-year-old Alyssa King.

– That (explosion) woke me up. It shook the whole apartment building, she says to AP.

She was at home with her eight-year-old daughter when she heard the bang, called the emergency services and was asked to leave the house immediately. As she drove to her mother’s home about three miles[3 km]away, she saw soot and fire debris fall to the ground.

– It was horrible. I am terrified of not having a home to return to, she says.

– They said grab your pets and belongings, and go. You have to go, says Laura Buffum ABC 7 Chicago. She and her family also had to evacuate.

– While we were packing, it actually rained fire remnants over us which caused further fire, she continues.

It is currently unknown what caused the explosion on Monday. The company Chemtool writes in a statement that they are now focusing on the safety of their employees and locals in Rockton, and that they will assist local authorities in identifying the cause.

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