PASSAIC, N.J. —

A fire at a New Jersey chemical plant with flames and smoke visible for miles in the night sky Friday has spread to multiple buildings, threatening to reach the plant's chemical storage area, authorities said.

Passaic Mayor Hector Lora told Northjersey.com that popping and small explosions within the fire at Qualco Inc. indicated it was getting closer to the chemicals, as residents were being evacuated from surrounding areas and told to keep their windows closed in at least one nearby municipality.

"This is a chemical fire. You will see the color in the sky," Lora told the news outlet.

Lora said firefighters were still assessing the situation. There were no initial reports of loss of life, he said.

New York City Emergency Management sent a notification Friday night saying residents might see or smell smoke from the fire.

The plant is about 13 miles west of Manhattan. It produces chemicals used to treat pools and spas, according to its website.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted about the fire, echoing calls for people who live near it to keep their windows closed.

"We urge everyone in Passaic to stay safe as firefighters battle a large eight-alarm fire at a chemical plant off of Route 21," Murphy wrote. "Praying for the safety of our first responders on the scene."

ROCKTON, Ill. —

Crews are responding to a massive fire that broke out at a chemical plant in Rockton, Illinois, Monday morning.

The blaze is happening at the Chemtool plant just over the Wisconsin-Illinois border. Rockton police told WLS-TV that a mandatory evacuation is underway for parts of the area.

WISN meteorologist Molly Bernard tweeted a photo that showed the huge plumes of black smoke was being picked up by weather radar.

This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Multiple fire departments have responded to the scene in an effort to contain the blaze, according to WBBM-TV.

There are no reports of injuries at this time.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.