# Not a good day in Illinois



## cda (Jun 14, 2021)

Massive fire at chemical plant prompts evacuations in Illinois; No injuries reported
					

ROCKTON, Ill. — Emergency crews remain on the scene of a massive fire at a chemical plant in Rockton, Illinois. The fire started around 7 a.m. Monday at Chemtool Incorporated, located at 1165 …




					www.wearecentralpa.com


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## Msradell (Jun 14, 2021)

Here's another longer video: 




It's hard to believe a plant like that doesn't have a very effective fire protection system installed. You also have to wonder what they were really manufacturing because most lubricating products are not that extremely flammable that they would cause a massive explosion like this.


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## cda (Jun 14, 2021)

Well there are some things that 
just can’t stop.

Maybe a little separation of materials might help.  

Plus design for the hazard

Assess the hazard each year for changes and adjust!!!! The protection


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## Msradell (Jun 14, 2021)

cda said:


> Well there are some things that
> just can’t stop.
> 
> Maybe a little separation of materials might help.
> ...


Those are definitely some of my thoughts. I did a lot of fire protection system design at a synthetic rubber manufacturing plant from one of America's big tire makers. We had a multitude of highly flammable solvents, self igniting catalysts, etc. but never had a significant incidents. Everything was compartmentalized and surrounded by high volume deluge and foam systems. We had pump capacity in excess of 20,000 GPM, water storage of over 3 million gallons and retention basin for at least 5 million gallons to collect runoff.

Looking around the facility I don't see any large water storage tanks nor any other obvious fire protection systems.


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## rktect 1 (Jun 15, 2021)

Well, at least they have one stream on that trailer.


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## cda (Jun 17, 2021)

So communities grow around some of these places, that maybe should not have any housing in a few miles???

So will the town let them build back????











						PHOTOS: Industrial fire crews work to put out Rockton chemical fire
					

A private industrial firefighting company is working Tuesday to put out the remaining fire at the Chemtool plant in Rockton, Illinois, more than 24 hours after the fire started burning.




					www.channel3000.com


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## ADAguy (Jun 18, 2021)

What of annual fire inspections in this city?


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## Msradell (Jun 18, 2021)

ADAguy said:


> What of annual fire inspections in this city?


I don't know the codes in the city that this facility was located in but in many areas industrial buildings are not subject to annual local fire inspections.  I have worked at several major facilities in various states including a chemical plant and none of them had annual fire inspections by local authorities.


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## cda (Jun 19, 2021)

When it has been there


ADAguy said:


> What of annual fire inspections in this city?


 
When it has been there for years,,,

West, Texas

And the city let other structures grow around it,,,

West, Texas

And codes have changed over the years and hazards were not upgraded/ protected,,,

West, Texas

And city May have not known how to deal with the hazard

You kind of get this.

Not sure how much annual inspection would have helped,, if they were not going to require retrofit or other types of hazard protection


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## cda (Jun 30, 2021)

Ok Illinois ???









						1,000 homes evacuated after pounds of lithium batteries explode in old Illinois paper mill
					

A blaze caused by as many as 200,000 exploding lithium batteries has caused at least 1,000 homes to be evacuated in Morris, Illinois.



					www.usatoday.com
				




For the second day, clouds of smoke filled the air in Morris as 180,000 to 200,000 pounds of lithium batteries continue to explode.

Crews and the city were unaware of the batteries when firefighters first responded

"I do not know how you just store that many batteries and have no one know about it," he said.

More city and county officials out of a job???


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## Sleepy (Jun 30, 2021)

Lithium is a combustible (maybe even flammable) metal and is water reactive, so it takes some specialized thinking to protect any sort of quantity.  I think most people (architects, BOs) don't realize that and think that batteries should be pretty harmless, but it's not true.


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## ADAguy (Jun 30, 2021)

Sleepy said:


> Lithium is a combustible (maybe even flammable) metal and is water reactive, so it takes some specialized thinking to protect any sort of quantity.  I think most people (architects, BOs) don't realize that and think that batteries should be pretty harmless, but it's not true.


If you took basic chemistry you would know that. Chem is an undergrad requirement at most Arch schools.


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## Sleepy (Jun 30, 2021)

ADAguy said:


> If you took basic chemistry you would know that. Chem is an undergrad requirement at most Arch schools.


Fair enough.  Although, that was about 100 years ago, it seems.  

Also, I suspect that a lot of building owners and operators don't understand either and may not realize they need a change of occupancy when they get a new tenant or change operations so don't consult an architect or the building official.  It seems like a problem.


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## rktect 1 (Jul 1, 2021)

Sleepy said:


> Fair enough.  Although, that was about 100 years ago, it seems.
> 
> Also, I suspect that a lot of building owners and operators don't understand either and may not realize they need a change of occupancy when they get a new tenant or change operations so don't consult an architect or the building official.  It seems like a problem.


Yea, well I love it when the person the village has placed in charge of issuing the "tenant and Use" or "zoning and use" form doesn't understand chapter 3 of the IBC nor the existing built buildings occupancy.  By the time it gets to my desk I have to explain why they cant just move in and need large sums of cash to remodel the space.


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