Crime & Safety
Lake County Fire Crews Respond To Rockton Chemical Plant Blaze
The Grayslake Fire Protection District and other area agencies were at the scene of the massive blaze early Tuesday.
GRAYSLAKE, IL — The Grayslake Fire Protection District is among several suburban fire agencies that responded this week to help battle a blaze at the Chemtool chemcial plant in Rockton.
On Monday, explosions and resulting fires at the plant prompted officials to evacuate an estimated 1,000 residents who lived within a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius of the plant, Rockton fire Chief Kirk Wilson told the Associated Press. The blaze has since been contained, according to the village of Rockton's Facebook page.
No injuries have been reported among Chemtool's approximately 50 employees working at the plant. One of the first firefighters on scene was taken to the hospital and evaluated for breathing difficulty but later sent home.
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The Grayslake Fire Protection District and Lake County agencies were deployed to the chemical plant fire Monday night, fire officials said Tuesday. Lake County crews assisted at the scene from midnight to 8 a.m. Tuesday morning to "keep the fire in check and prevent any further environmental harm," according to a post on the Grayslake Fire Protection District Facebook page.
"All crews returned safe and we keep the first responders, the employees, and the community in our thoughts and prayers," according to the fire protection district Facebook page.
Find out what's happening in Grayslakefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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