Interdivisional industrial fire in Morris, 6-29-21 (more)

Excerpts from abc7chicago.com:

Morris officials announced that the evacuation order for a large industrial fire affecting over 3,000 residents will be lifted at 4 p.m. on Friday, as firefighters continue to make significant progress in containing the blaze. The order was issued due to dangerous levels of toxic fumes and smoke caused by the explosion of up to 200,000 lithium batteries stored inside the building.

The fire broke out just before 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday at the former Federal Paper Board facility located on the 900-block of East Benton Street. Since then, emergency crews have been working tirelessly to bring the situation under control.

On Thursday, firefighters made notable progress by using Portland cement to smother the burning lithium batteries. Fire Chief Tracey Steffes reported that 28 tons of cement were used, and while there is no active burning at the site, she warned that the batteries could still smolder without oxygen. Three hot spots were detected when the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office deployed a drone inside the building.

To prevent potential damage, firefighters are digging a trench in the lowest part of the structure, in case the fire breaks through the cement and water is needed. Before resorting to cement, crews had attempted to use dry chemical extinguishers, but these proved ineffective against the lithium battery fire.

"These batteries range in size from a cell phone to something slightly larger than a car battery," said Steffes. "When they get wet, they short out and ignite, sometimes exploding. That's the main issue we're dealing with. The biggest danger remains the smoke and toxic gases produced by the fire, which are extremely hazardous and potentially deadly."

The building's owner, Jin Zheng, arrived on the scene within minutes of the fire starting but was unable to enter due to the thick black smoke. He was storing supplies in the 70,000-square-foot warehouse and had plans to launch a solar power business by the end of the year. Unfortunately, he has lost his life savings in the fire and was planning to apply for insurance after the business opened. He also intended to repair the roof this week and believes water dripping onto the batteries may have triggered the explosions and subsequent fire.

The Illinois EPA is monitoring air quality around the area, and initial test results have been positive. Meanwhile, the Red Cross is providing food and water to more than 300 people affected by the fire. Volunteers are also setting up a reception center and shelter at First Christian Church, located at 455 W. Southmor Road in Morris, for those who were evacuated.

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