(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — There has been a dramatic improvement at the scene of a sprawling lithium battery fire in southwest suburban Morris that displaced thousands of residents, though authorities say the situation remains volatile.
As of Thursday, there were no longer flames or smoke emanating from the former paper mill property on East Benton Street. The place, lately housing up to 100 tons of lithium ion batteries, caught fire Tuesday.
“That scene is 100% better than it was earlier,” Morris Fire Protection District Chief Tracy Steffes said.
Crews were able to put 28 tons of Portland cement on top of the burning batteries, he said, but they’re not in the clear yet. Many batteries did not burn but were exposed to heat, he said.
“There’s a chance that when they’re exposed that this thermal runaway could happen at any time with them batteries,” Steffes said.
As a precautionary measure, crews are now digging a 4-feet-wide, 6-feet deep trench at the lowest corner of the building, Steffes said.
"We're going to dig a trench in case we have to apply some water to these batteries to keep the reaction down,” he said.
EPA officials said the air quality of surrounding neighborhoods is promising, he said. Results form samples from the industrial site are pending.
An evacuation order affected nearly 1,000 homes near the industrial site remains in effect until at least 9 p.m. Thursday.
Morris officials said they did not know lithium ion batteries were being stored at the site. The Illinois EPA has referred the matter to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, the agency said.
Moving forward, fire crews were expected to work closely with state and federal environmental officials on removing battery debris from the site.
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