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Warehouse in Illinois holding 100 tons of lithium batteries goes up in flames

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Posted at 7:03 PM, Jun 30, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-30 21:03:30-04

MORRIS, Ill. — A warehouse in Illinois holding up to 100 tons of lithium batteries went up in flames on Tuesday, which led to the evacuation of 3,000 to 4,000 people.

According to the Associated Press, the fire began Tuesday at the old Federal Paper Board building around 11:45 a.m. local time in Morris, located 60 miles southwest of Chicago.

Morris Fire Protection & Ambulance District Chief Tracey Steffes told ABC 7 Chicago that the gas from the fire is "highly poisonous."

On Wednesday, smoke still filled the air as 180,000 to 200,000 pounds of lithium batteries continued to explode, USA Today reported.

No injuries have been reported, and it's unclear what started the fire.