MATTOON, Ill. (WAND) — Two people near the scene of the ILMO fire described the event as "terrifying," saying they had never seen anything like it before.
The Mattoon Fire Department was called to ILMO after 6 p.m. on Tuesday in response to a fire with explosions. Rt. 45 was shut down in both directions to traffic, and an evacuation plan was created after firefighters found anhydrous ammonia inside the building. The fire was considered under control by 9 p.m., and there are no hazards for the public.
Megan Ullrich and Haley Harris are employees at the McDonald's less than a quarter mile away from ILMO.
Harris, the store's general manager, described the moment the fire started.
"We were taking orders, like normal, and then all of a sudden we look out the drive thru window, and it's a big explosion and black smoke everywhere," Harris said.
Ullrich, a manager, said the flames could be seen from over a mile away on her drive into work.
"As we got closer, you could just see it going from small flames to huge flames. It was still exploding." She said that even inside the McDonald's they could feel it inside. "You [could] actually feel the building moving. You could feel it exploding under your feet."
They shared that they had never seen anything like it before, and that they wouldn't soon forget it.
"Everyone was terrified. Like, make you sick to your stomach terrified. But the first responders were amazing. I don't know how they do it, I could never do it. We're grateful to them," Ullrich said.
As a sign of their gratitude, Ullrich and Harris brewed fresh coffee and hot chocolate to hand out to the first responders.
The fire is still under investigation.
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