UPDATE: Cause of Fire at Akzo Nobel Chemical Plant Remains Unknown

UPDATED FRIDAY, JULY 15

It took five hours and 17 responding units to extinguish Thursday night's blaze at Akzo Nobel Chemical Plant, according to the Morris Fire Department. 

"Responding units immediately went into defensive attack with several master streams from aerial devices and ground monitors," a Fire Department news release said.

There were no injuries reported, and the cause of the fire and amount of damage are still unknown.

The blaze in the Dow Therm unit left a substantial portion of the structure in flames Thursday night, according to fire personnel. Responders set up tower ladders for foam units, and firefighters shut valves preventing additional pressure that was feeding the fire.

The alarm went off at 6:35 p.m., and was quickly upgraded to a box alarm, which alerted other fire departments.

The Morris Fire Department said additional units responded from Minooka, Channahon, Troy, Coal City, Plainfield, Rockdale, Wilmington, Seneca, Lisbon, Elwood Foam Task Force, Mobil Foam Task Force, LyondellBasell Foam Task Force, Grundy County EMA, Grundy and Will County Hazardous Material Teams, Grundy County Sheriff's Office, Division 15 Rehab Unit, and Akzo Nobel plant personnel.

Located on Route 6 east of Morris, the manufacturing facility occupies 26 acres of a 323-acre site, according to Akzo Nobel's web site. Opened in 1973 and currently employing 115 people, the plant produces chemicals that change the feel of other materials when mixed with water or other solvents, such as fabric softener.

This fire comes about a month and a half after an explosion at LyondellBasell, also near Morris. In late May, a power failure at the plant outside Morris in unincorporated Grundy County prompted the .