A shocking tragedy unfolded in Chicago on Monday morning, when a chemical plant caught fire and went out of control. The blaze erupted at a facility owned by Chemtool Inc in Rockton and continuous efforts are underway to extinguish the fire.
Owing to the critical situation, mandatory evacuation orders were issued for area south of Chemtool. Trisha Diduch, the planning and development administrator for Rockton said around 1,000 people are likely affected by the evacuation order. The fire is so massive that it can be seen from Chicago office buildings located 100 miles away. The Rockton Police Department Chief Kirk Wilson has issued a warning, saying the fire could burn for "several days."
Raging fire engulfs grease factory
The fire started at the Chemtool chemical factory, one of the largest grease factory, on Monday morning at around 7 a.m. Central time. It is not clear what triggered the fire at the facility, which led to series of explosions.
The fire grew so huge that it was picked up on weather radar and looked strikingly similar to a strong thunderstorm, Forbes reported. The nearby towns had debris falling throughout the day due to the fire.
Aerial visuals of site show thick black smoke billowing into the sky and raging fire engulfing the buildings at the facility and scary explosions. Many pictures were also shared on social media to show the massive flames even from afar.
