Cause of Carus fire in La Salle remains under investigation, says state fire marshal

The cause of the Jan. 11 fire at Carus Chemical in La Salle is under investigation, according to the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office.

Once the fire was extinguished and equipment removed, La Salle Fire Chief Jerry Janick said the fire department’s role in the incident was complete. The matter was then turned over to the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office to investigate the cause of the fire.

“This is an open and active investigation and we don’t have any new information available at this time,” said a representative from the Illinois State Fire Marshal office on Friday.

Janick said at a Jan. 11 press conference the cause of the fire is undetermined, but not suspicious. No foul play is suspected.

The La Salle County Health Department is partnering with local hospitals to monitor if anyone seeks medical treatment following the fire. One individual did seek medical attention after the fire, according to Jenny Barrie, public information officer for the health department.

Carus resumed Wednesday production and shipping of phosphates out of its La Salle plant, six days after the fire in another area of the property, according to a Carus press release.

The company said the fire destroyed more than one million pounds of potassium permanganate.

“It is great to be making and shipping phosphates at our La Salle plant again. It is back to ‘business as usual’ for phosphates thanks to the great teamwork and resourcefulness of Carus employees,” said Carus President and CEO Andy Johnston in a press release. “I would also like to thank our customers for their support and patience over the last few days.”

Carus phosphates are used for corrosion control in potable and industrial water systems. These products help clean, maintain and extend the life of system infrastructure including mains, service lines, valves, meters and household plumbing.

The Environmental Protection Agency has not found any health risks to residents after taking samples of nearby soil, water and air for testing. HAZMAT teams from HEPACO and RMS Environmental were cleaning up the site this week under the supervision of the Illinois EPA and U.S EPA.