MORRIS, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Smoke continues to billow from an industrial facility fire in Morris, about 60 miles southwest of Chicago. The fire has been going on since Tuesday morning and has kept more than 4,000 residents out of their homes.
Morris officials said the evacuation order will remain in effect at least until 9 p.m. Wednesday night. Morris Fire Chief Tracy Steffes said firefighters cannot pour water or foam on the fire. They have to let it burn itself out, because unbeknownst to the fire department ahead of time, there are up to 200,000 pounds of lithium batteries in the building and the smoke is toxic.
"These batteries range in size from a cell phone to a little bigger than a car battery. And, as these batteries get wet, they short out and they ignite and explode," Steffes said.
"They’re still poppin, it sounds like, and they may go all day," added Mayor Chris Brown.
Fire Chief Tracy Steffes said, though, this fire is nothing like the recent industrial fire in Rockton which had residents out of their homes for days.
"The scope of that fire of that fire and the scope of this fire is like a mouse and an elephant. You have a much larger incident in Rockton," he said.
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Chief Steffes said firefighters would have begun fighting the fire differently, with no water or foam, had the company told the city what was in the building.
"We know that people store stuff that they don’t always tell us about, but before this fire, had no idea these batteries were here," he said.
Emergency shelters had been set up for those who were evacuated, but Mayor Chris Brown said not many people used them.
"The early reports we’ve gotten this morning is five families so, not a whole lot. I know some seniors went to some local hotels," he said.
The US EPA has been monitoring air quality. There have been no injuries reported.
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