Large Carus Chemical fire leaves residue on homes; vehicles

LASALLE – The large fire at the Carus Chemical facility in LaSalle sent a large smoke plume wafting over north central Illinois and left some area residents with a residue of a substance called potassium permanganate on yards, homes and vehicles. LaSalle Fire Chief Jerry Janick said it isn’t known yet what started the fire, which caused explosions and massive fireballs at the plant a little after 9 AM on Wednesday. The multi-alarm fire was brought under control after agencies from across the state arrived to battle the hazardous materials blaze. All Carus Chemical workers were accounted for. Allen Gibbs, the Vice President of Operations at Carus Chemical, said that the oxidant can be cleaned with household vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. A hotline has been set up for those with questions about the incident at (815)224-6662.