Illinois chemical plant fire prompts authorities to order evacuations

Chemtool Inc., in Rockton, a community about 15 miles north of Rockford on the Illinois-Wisconsin state boundary, caught fire.

The police department said on Twitter that "Rockton Fire has issued a necessary evacuation due to a chemical fire." "All residents and businesses within a one-mile radius of 1165 Prairie Hill Rd are affected by this warning. To Stephen Mack Middle School, proceed. A one-mile radius should be avoided."

According to CNN affiliate WREX, the corporation issued a statement confirming that all on-site staff were safe and accounted for. According to that statement, the cause of the fire has yet to be identified.

"Chemtool Incorporated offers a wide array of lubricating greases to fulfill your demands," according to the company's website.

Officials in northern Illinois near Rockford issued an evacuation order Monday due to a chemical fire large enough to be detected by weather radar.

Chemtool Inc., 1165 Prairie Hill Road, in Rockton, has been asked to evacuate residents and businesses within a one-mile radius, according to Rockton police.

According to a Facebook post by Rockton Police, evacuees were originally ordered to head to Stephen Mack Middle School, but the evacuation site has since been shifted to Roscoe Middle School.

Rockton is located north of Rockford and west of Interstate 90, close to the Illinois-Wisconsin border.

The fire has been classified as serious, posing a serious hazard to life or property, according to the notice.

According to the National Weather Service's Chicago office, the fire was large enough to be detected on weather radar. Michael Leto, a passenger on a trip from Madison, Wisconsin, to Chicago, saw the fire from the air and snapped a photo just before 9:10 a.m., he said.

On Monday morning, authorities in Illinois issued an evacuation order for individuals living near an industrial fire.