Story courtesy of Fox News.
Authorities in Rockton have decided to let a massive fire at a chemical plant burn off, which could continue for several days.
Officials opted to let the fire burn itself instead of risking chemical runoff spilling into the nearby Rock River.
The explosion erupted at a facility owned by Chemtool in Rockton, which is near the state line near Rockford, around 7 a.m. followed by the blaze that had yet to be contained hours later. Aerial images taken of the scene show large plumes of black smoke billowing into the air as firefighters raced to extinguished the fire.
Locals reporting seeing “small chunks of the building” falling out of the sky.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he was monitoring the situation and announced the deployment of the Illinois National Guard, state police and the state Environmental Protection Agency to assist local jurisdictions.
The plumes of smoke could be seen for miles and became so big they were being picked up on weather radar.
In a Facebook post, the Village of Rockton advised residents to avoid roads near the plant so first responders from other communities could quickly respond.
Trisha Diduch, the planning and development administrator for Rockton, said she estimates about 1,000 people are affected by the evacuation.
