The fire at the Carus Chemical Plant in LaSalle in January was caused by a pallet that caught fire. The company says potassium permanganate was being moved from its warehouse in January when some of the packaging was damaged by the forklift it was being carried on. Workers cleaned up the spilled compound and moved it to another location. The friction from the forklift moving the pallet ignited the material underneath the pallet. CEO Andy Johnston says the company is committed to lowering the risk of this ever happening again by working with local, state, and federal officials to establish safe handling and storage practices. Something like this has never happened in the over 100 years Carus has been in business. The company will continue to provide updates on cleanup and community support efforts. LaSalle residents can still use the community hotline by calling 815-224-6662.
LaSalle County Emergency Management Agency picture of the fire damage at Carus Chemical in LaSalle
Carus LLC says friction cause January chemical plant fire
Mar 30, 2023 | 3:33 PM