An Illinois county issued a “shelter in place” order after a chemical plant exploded Wednesday morning, local news reported.
Contents of a shipping container exploded at the Carus Chemical Plant, located in La Salle, Illinois, about 80 miles southwest of Chicago, NBC Chicago reported. The explosion, estimated to have occurred at 9 a.m., sparked a massive fire, which released tremendous amounts of smoke into the air.
“There was a fire at the Carus Chemical Building. residents living nearby are asked to please shelter in place,” La Salle city officials said in a statement, NBC Chicago reported.
Video of the massive fire was posted to Twitter.
⚠️ HAPPENING NOW: Massive (4th alarm) fire has erupted at a chemical plant southwest of Chicago in La Salle, Illinois.
Fire, hazmat, and medical units en route. pic.twitter.com/fAVlr4qdY2
— Upward News (@UpwardNewsHQ) January 11, 2023
Around 11 a.m., the local police department announced an oxidizer was released in the area to help restore air quality and warned local residents to “NOT touch this substance.” (RELATED: Town Of Medford, Oregon, Asked To Evacuate Over Massive Explosion And Possible Chemical Leak)
“Due to recent events, an oxidizer (which appears green in color) has been released in the area. Do NOT touch this substance. If you see this substance near or on your residence it can be deactivated. In order to deactivate it, you will need a 1:1:1 mixture of: 1 gallon of water, 1 gallon of peroxide, 1 gallon of vinegar,” the La Salle Police Department said in a Facebook post.
The mayor of La Salle, Jeff Grove, encouraged residents to “stay away from the Carus plant to allow Firefighters to work,” in a Facebook post.
Around 12:30 p.m., Grove updated the community again, saying, “the fire is definitely under control.”