Disaster proclamation issued to help recovery efforts following recycling facility fire

MADISON, Ill. (KFVS) - Governor JB Pritzker issued a disaster proclamation for Madison and St. Clair counties to help with recovery efforts following a fire at a recycling facility.

The proclamation is effective immediately and will remain in effect for 30 days.

The governor announced the proclamation on Thursday, August 11. It grants the State of Illinois the ability to expedite the use of state resources, personnel or equipment to help affected communities recover.

“I’d like to praise the first responders who were on the scene quickly and thank them for their ongoing efforts to extinguish the fire,” the governor said. “To support our communities in the Metro East, my administration has acted swiftly to utilize every available resource, accelerating the recovery process and providing relief for those affected by this incident.”

According to the governor’s office, several fire departments in the Metro East and St. Louis area, as well as the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, are working together to put out the five-alarm fire, with firefighting efforts expected to continue for up to 48 hours.

At least one person was injured in Wednesday’s fire at Interco, and the potentially hazardous nature of the smoke and soot from the fire prompted officials in the city of Madison to issue a “shelter in place” request for those living in a 1-mile radius of the factory.