Multiple explosions in Morris, Illinois, at an abandoned paper mill storing li-ion batteries forced residents to evacuate from the surrounding area.
According to reports, the fire broke out around 11:45 am on Tuesday in Morris, Illinois, at the former Paper Board facility. City officials claim not having a clue that the building was still functioning as a warehouse with more than 200,000 lb of li-ion batteries inside, ranging from mobile phones models to bigger EV batteries.
“The biggest hazard we have is the smoke and fumes as well as the gas from the fire. Highly poisonous and very deadly,” said Tracey Steffes, Deputy Chief at Morris Fire Protection & Ambulance District.
The fire department sprung into immediate action and used water and fire-fighting foam to douse off the fire but stopped as soon as they realized there were batteries in there for fear of causing more harm and good. Using road salt has been suggested as an alternative, but Steffes decided not to send his people inside the building until he was 100% sure of what was actually inside.
Meanwhile, the Grundy County Emergency Management Agency issued an evacuation order for residents living nearby. The officials directed 3,000-4,000 people in about a thousand homes, schools, churches, and small businesses to leave the area immediately. Police Chief Alicia Steffes said that they are currently not allowing anyone to enter the deadly zone, albeit residents can bring back essential items such as medicines.
“The name of the company is Superior Battery … and we didn’t know they existed until yesterday afternoon,” stated Mayor Chris Brown. He further said that there are no business license records, and the police department would soon investigate further into this matter.
We expect more details about the Morris li-ion battery fire and how it started as soon as authorities complete their investigation.
