Mysterious odor reported across the region

What’s that smell?

A chemical-like odor was reported wafting across the suburbs Sunday, creating plenty of social media chatter but no official report of its cause.

Among the official sources to comment on the smell Sunday was the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District, which took to social media to address residents’ concerns.

“We have received multiple 911 calls regarding an unknown odor described as a chemical or burning electrical smell in the air,” officials said in a Facebook post. “Reports have been ongoing for approximately the last 12 hours and span a wide area, from central Illinois through Indiana and as far north as the Wisconsin border. The source of the odor appears to be coming from a distance quite south of here.”

District officials said they are monitoring the situation and coordinating with regional partners to gather more information.

In the meantime, anyone having experiencing difficulty breathing, dizziness, nausea, or irritation should seek medical attention, but only call 911 in case of a life-threatening emergency, officials said.

Similar reports have surfaced in suburbs including Lombard, Elgin, Elmhurst, Schaumburg, Naperville and Wauconda, and as far west as Rockford and as far south as Urbana and Decatur.