Chemical fire shuts down roads, businesses in Princeton
PRINCETON -- Some heard explosions and smoke billowed from a chemical plant fire in central Illinois on Saturday in a blaze that closed roads and forced residents miles away to stay inside.
No one was seriously hurt in the fire at the Euclid Chemical plant that started around dawn Saturday and burned throughout the day before easing in intensity Saturday evening, witnesses and area officials said.
But the fire, one of the largest in the rural area in years, did cause concern and inconvenience, said Eran Salzmann, the owner of the Zbest Cafe On Main restaurant in Sheffield, a village a few miles from the plant.
“There's still thick, black smoke coming out of there, he said from the restaurant Saturday afternoon. “You can really smell it. It smells like burning tires mixed with rubbing alcohol.
He said some patrons reported hearing what they thought were explosions at the plant Saturday morning. And some area businesses chose to close for the day as a precaution because of the smoke.
Bureau County Board Supervisor Joe Bertetto said he could see smoke rising from the plant from his office in Princeton, located about 10 miles east of the plant.
It wasn't known what caused the fire at the plant, which makes a variety of materials, including a form of epoxy used in concrete products, Bertetto said.
The plant is surrounded by miles of farm fields and no one lives next to it, so Bertetto said he didn't think the fire ever posed an imminent threat to residents.
Still, people were told to take precautions by staying indoors and keeping windows shut, said Princeton Fire Department Lt. Joe Welte. And the Illinois EPA dispatched officials to monitor the scene, Bertetto said.
Route 40 south of Interstate 80 was among area roads closed on Saturday, partly to ensure traffic wouldn't slow firefighters arriving from multiple departments to fight the blaze, Bertetto said.
“To the best of my knowledge, just about everybody in Bureau County is here, Sheffield firefighter Dave Hahne told LaSalle's News Tribune about the overwhelming response from regional departments.
The Euclid Chemical plant opened in 2004 and employs 15 people, Bertetto said.
Euclid Chemical officials could not be reached for comment Saturday. Calls to several telephone numbers for the company went unanswered.