Evacuation order for Morris residents to be lifted at 4 p.m.
MORRIS, Ill. - Officials in Morris will lift the evacuation order Friday afternoon for residents living close to the industrial fire that began Tuesday.
Roughly 4,000 people displaced by the fire and toxic fumes will be able to return to their homes Friday after 4 p.m.
Authorities said Thursday the fire was no longer active at the site, which lies about 70 miles southwest of Chicago.
The building — to the surprise of the fire department and other city agencies — was being used to store nearly 100 tons of lithium batteries ranging in size from cellphone batteries to large car batteries.
The mayor said the police department will conduct an investigation about the storage of the batteries and that other agencies, including the state fire marshal and the Illinois attorney general’s office, have already been contacted.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.