ROCKTON, Ill. (WIFR) – One firefighter was injured and several fire crews are at the scene of a structure fire at Chemtool on Prairie Hill Road in Rockton Monday morning.
Around 7 a.m. multiple area fire departments were called to 1165 Prairie Hill Road in Rockton for reports of smoke showing at Chemtool Incorporated. Some neighbors reported hearing small explosions and fire burns with smoke being seen for miles.
According to the Rockton Fire Chief, an area within a one-mile radius of the Chemtool plant in Rockton is under a mandatory, full-scale evacuation.
Those within the evacuation zone map, head to Rockton Middle School and Roscoe Middle School, according to the Village of Rockton and the Rockton Police Department.
All residents and businesses within a one-mile radius of Chemtool are directed to evacuate to Roscoe Middle School at 6121 Elevator Rd. immediately, according to an emergency alert sent out to mobile devices. Williams Tree Farm and Stephen Mack School have shifted their evacuees to Roscoe Middle School.
As of 10:50 a.m., the fire in Rockton has caused smoke to cover the eastern third of Ogle County. Close windows and doors if you live east of Meridian Road and monitor your indoor air quality. Please do NOT call 911 unless you are having an emergency, according to the Ogle County Health Department.
Doctors are recommending that people around the Rockford Region wear a mask all day Monday and possibly Tuesday to protect themselves from the chemicals in the air from the Chemtool fire in Rockton, Kristin Camiliere reports.
Here is a statement from The Lubrizol Corporation, which owns the Chemtool facility in Rockton.
“At approximately 7 a.m. today, local emergency personnel responded to a fire at the Lubrizol Corporation’s Chemtool Facility in Rockton, Ill. We have confirmed all on site are safe and accounted for. Our concern right now is for the safety of all our employees and the surrounding community. As a precaution, authorities have evacuated residents in a one-mile radius of the site.
We do not yet know what caused this incident, but we will be working with local authorities and with our own risk management team to determine what happened and identify any corrective actions. We will share more details as they are known. We are grateful to our employees, first responders and safety forces responding to this incident,” Alicia Gauer, Senior Director, Global Communications for the Lubrizol Corporation said.
Doctors are recommending that people around the Rockford Region wear a mask all day today and possibly tomorrow to protect themselves from the chemicals in the air from the Chemtool fire in Rockton. At this time, it is unclear what caused the fire and if there are any hazardous chemicals involved.
The Village of Rockton asks the public to avoid Rt. 2 and E. Rockton Road so first responders from other communities can quickly respond to the fire.
“Please do your part in helping fight this fire. No landscape watering today and any unnecessary water use,” according to the Village of Rockton.
Salvation Army staff and volunteers are responding to the Chemtool fire, sending a mobile feeding unit, including a field kitchen and rapid response unit to provide meals, snacks and beverages to first responders, according to the Salvation Army of Winnebago County.
Frisellabrations, on Yale Bridge in South Beloit, is opening their doors for anyone evacuated who would like shelter and AC.
The Rockford Fire Department told WIFR they are fully aware and are monitoring the situation. Rockford fire officials are recommending people in the area to stay inside (no mandatory order at this time) or to do what they feel comfortable with.
A statement was released by the Northern Illinois PIO.
“At a news conference this morning, it was stated that at this time there is ‘no danger to air quality at ground level.’ This information is based on an initial limited test of VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, done by local agencies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is now arriving on scene and working with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and other local partners. They are setting up to do more in-depth testing to measure the impact to air, water and land. We will communicate as soon as we have more information.
The County Emergency Operations Center is actively tracking the smoke plume and wind direction. The specific area impacted at this time is two miles south of Chemtool. If you are within the one-mile evacuation zone around Chemtool, please evacuate. If you are two miles directly south of Chemtool, please stay indoors as a precaution, close your windows and doors, and turn off your air conditioner/HVAC units. The Illinois Department of Public Health is advising people to wear a mask if they are within the evacuation zone.
At this time, these recommendations are only for Rockton-area residents. Anyone outside of the Rockton area does not need to take action at this time, but continue to monitor local media outlets for additional information.
Reminder: Evacuating residents can go to Rockton Middle School,” according to the Northern Illinois PIO.
This is a developing story. Stay with 23 News as updates become available.
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