Multiple fire departments responded to a large-scale fire Thursday afternoon at Morton Industries' north plant.
That's at 70 Commerce Drive, northeast of the Interstate 74 interchange with Morton Avenue. The company is a fabricator for tubular parts.
Photos shared on social media showed billows of thick black smoke that could be seen for miles. Strong wind spread the smoke throughout the vicinity.
One employee posted on Facebook the company made sure everyone got out of the building safely and was accounted for, and that Thursday's third shift had been canceled.
A witness who works at a neighboring business said the fire broke out around 3 p.m. He said the company moved its trucks parked in an adjacent lot away from the area, concerned about the fire possibly reaching large fuel tanks behind the Morton Industries building.
The witness said fire crews from Morton, Washington, East Peoria and Deer Creek were on the scene, while Morton police blocked traffic on Commerce Drive between Ashland and Courtland. Crews were still on the scene as a thunderstorm approached shortly after 5 p.m.
The fire appeared to be concentrated in the rear of the building on the east side. Crews could be seen battling flames that engulfed a large stack of material, attacking both from the ground and overhead from a ladder truck. The exterior of the building showed extensive fire, smoke and water damage.
Additional information on a cause and the extent of the damage was not immediately available.
