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 .
Not once did I ever say I was out there complaining. Now you are making things up too. I don't quite get your point now. Also I like how you threw in this bit, "which side do you represent, cheap non union out of town(which was never brought up anywhere on here) labor...." First I don't represent either side. Second, you are implying that you know all the work at Lyondell is from out of towners. I should ask how the loads of people living in the area, work there for several years and live out of town. Now I know you are a union guy (construction) and all, but you don't have to be so biased in everything you say. You obviously only pay attention to your side of the story and don't bother looking into anything. At least open your mind up a bit.