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Rockton: Industrial Fire At Chemtool Leads To Evacuations

Rockton evacuation zone map
Rockton evacuation zone map

A massive structure fire at a grease plant in far northern Illinois today forced area employees and residents from their homes.

Emergency crews say it could take days to burn off and that the structure is a total loss. The Rockton Fire Department ordered an evacuation for a one mile radius around Chemtool Incorporated due to the industrial fire which began Monday morning.

It’s unclear how the fire started, but there are no serious injuries.

During an update carried by WREX-TV, Police Chief Kirk Wilson says 70 people were working on site. One firefighter suffered minor injuries.

Wilson says there is no danger to air quality at the ground level. He says crews are letting the building burn due to concerns about water runoff.Rockton Middle School is serving as a staging area for those evacuated.

The Village of Rockton has posted an evacuation map on its Facebook page.

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