Firefighters in suburban Channahon were called to assist staff at a factory when a chemical reaction inside of a railcar caused it to overheat.
According to fire officials, firefighters were called to Americas Styrenics late Wednesday night after chemical material inside of a railcar “experienced a thermal event.”
Employees at the plant had begun cooling the railcar, but firefighters were called to help assist with those efforts. According to a press release, firefighters set up streams and handlines to help cool the railcar, and also helped to set up vapor suppression efforts to collect any airborne material released during the cooling process.
Officials say there is no ongoing threat to the public, but residents are being asked to avoid the area of the plant for security reasons.
Those cooling operations are still ongoing Thursday, with temperatures inside the railcar “improving,” according to officials.
Officials say that air quality monitoring at the site remains ongoing at this time, and further updates are expected.
There is no immediate word on what chemicals were contained within the railcar, and workers remain on-scene to deal with the problems.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
