Explosion At Rockton Chemical Plant: National Guard Deployed

ROCKTON, IL — Residents and businesses within two miles of Chemtool Incorporated were ordered to evacuate and advised to relocate to a nearby middle school on Monday morning due to a chemical fire and explosion large enough to see on weather radar, officials said.

Just before 2 p.m., Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced he was activating the state emergency operation center and deploying the National Guard to respond to the chemical fire, and advising those in the area to wear masks.

According to an alert from Rockton police, the fire has been rated as severe and could continue to spread. Fire officials have already been called to aid in a small fire caused by debris from the Chemtool burning.

"State health officials are recommending that residents within the evacuation zone to northern part of Rockford utilize the use of masks or face coverings for the time being," according to a news release from Pritzker's office. "This is to prevent the inhalation of particulate matter (soot). As this emergency progresses, it is important for residents to stay informed by monitoring local media for changing instructions. "

Chemtool Incorporated is at 1165 Prairie Hill Road in the Rockford metro area. According to their website, the company manufactures grease and other lubricating fluids.

Fire officials said during a press conference that the oil-based lubricant manufactured at the plant may take several days to burn off. One firefighter sustained minor injuries while attempting to extinguish the flames, the department said.

The fire was large enough to register on weather radar, according to the Joliet Weather Center and National Weather Service, and people in neighboring towns have reported seeing smoke in the air.

One person who is staying four miles from the fire shared their view of the smoke from their front yard.

Crews from the Rockton Fire Protection District and the Rockton Police Department were at the scene since around 7 a.m. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency had been notified of the fire, but did not immediately have details on whether contamination was possible.

A statement from Lubrizol Corporation, the company that owns Chemtool, confirmed all employees are "safe and accounted for" in an email statement.

Lubrizol said there were 50 employees present when the explosion happened, the Associated Press reported.

"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," said Alicia Gauer, a spokesperson for Lubrizol. "We will share more details as they are known. We are grateful to our employees, first responders and safety forces responding to this incident."

The City of Rockford also advised its residents to stay indoors and shut off their air conditioners.

"As a precaution, if you can see the smoke plume from the Chemtool fire, please stay indoors; close your windows and doors; and turn off your air conditioners," the city warned residents on Facebook.